


Send My Love (To Your New Lover)

by Kirby_Stilinski



Series: Septiplier Recycling Bin ㄟ(≧◇≦)ㄏ [10]
Category: Septiplier - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bounty Hunters, But Mark becomes good.. eventually.., Dark Humor, Homicide, Immortality, Jack Needs a Hug, M/M, Mark is evil, Murder, Violence, sassy characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-07-12 13:12:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 54,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7106008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirby_Stilinski/pseuds/Kirby_Stilinski
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[[A Tumblr AU]]</p><p>People are born to age regularly throughout their childhood and young adolescent years until they stop aging at 21. That is.. until they find their soulmate where they shall age and die together. </p><p>Mark Fischbach wants to live forever. So the only way to solve his problem is if he kills his soulmate before meeting them each time they are reincarnated.</p><p>But Sean "Jack" McLoughlin wants to meet his soulmate, but doesn't realize the sudden game of Life And Death he throws himself and his friends in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. This Was All You...

**Author's Note:**

> ANOTHER FIC. YEAAHH!!!! 
> 
> This fic shall update between every 2-4 days.
> 
> I am throwing in some OC characters [some are based off some of my IRL friends] in this story, so don't think the stories are connected if I have some from my other fics.
> 
> AND ENJOYYY!!
> 
> **Trigger Warnings**
> 
> Mild Violence  
> Mentions of Murder  
> Homicidal Psychology  
> Mob Psychology  
> Panic Attacks  
> Homophobia

Mark Edward Fischbach was the son of a colonial man. 

He sold fish and often helped with the royalty. Mark was just turning twenty-one and he perceived his dream of becominf an immortal. As much as he wanted to meet his soulmate, he also wanted to live forever. His darling, Meredith [OC], he had assumed was his soulmate but she wasn't. He was still happy with her though. Then... suddenly she wasn't.

She became distant and Mark kept being a courteous gentleman to her in which she enjoyed the company. Then one day, they were boarding on the ship to the new world. Mark was ecstatic and she was so happy for him.

-"Mark.. I just.. I wanted you to know. Thy are good to me, indeed. But I have found my soulmate. He's waiting for me back in Italy.." she said the night before Mark was about to leave. Mark's heart had broken beyond repair at her words. In a sudden rage, he locked her in the room. "Mark? Darling?" She called out while Mark made himself busy with supplies. Him always being fascinated with the men in the Blacksmith sure had his perks. Mark turned and set is contraption down. He unlocked the door and quickly ran out of the small shack they had been in.

As Mark walked away he heard her call his name once before the shack suddenly burst into flames. His tears sliding down his cheeks as he ran away.

* * *

 

Mark Fischbach was an ordinary man. He was enjoying himself in the grand city of Chicago. That was when he first felt it. The connection.

A century had passed after Mark killed Meredith, and he had lived happily from then on. He made himself a blacksmith in the new world they called America. He stayed up North avoiding the slavery in the south. He was leaving the shop with his apprentice when he saw him. 

A dashing man in a petite suit, walking into a bar. Mark smiled and in a daze walked right in as well. There was music playing and people dancing. Mark sat right next to the handsome man.

-"Evening, and you are?" He asked in a licorice tone. Mark smirked.

-"My name is Mark." He replied, shaking his hand. When their hands shook, they both felt an instant spark. The man smiled and looked down at their hands.

-"Well would you look at that. Could you ve my soulmate?" the man said.

 _Soulmate_. that dreadful word that led Mark to homicide a century ago. Mark's anger rose in a second when he pulled the man out of the bar and into the alley beside it.

-"Well normally, I get dinner before this.." the man said daringly. Mark's anger soared at the words and he grabbed the nearest object, a brick, and he smacked it into the man's head over and over until his head was a large bleeding mess. Mark looked down at his hands horrified. But then the feeling stopped. The feeling that... that time was slipping by. Mark smiled and looked back once at the man before running to his home.

* * *

 

Present Day, Mark Fischbach was a regular man. Mark had hunted down his Soulmate. All reincarnated through the years and he killed them all. He was content being young. Unfortunately, Mark had taken some time and stalked the last one he killed in 1974 and he aged a year or two before killing him. Mark's body unfortunately grew a bit even though the aging for every human stopped, but since the universe decided if Mark was going to kill his soulmate, then he might as well give the man a couple yesrs as a punishment. Mark was technically 268 years old... but had the body of a 26 year old. Mark worked out daily and went to his job as a paramedic frequently, he normally had Fridays and Saturdays off. He was happy, not having to hunt his soulmate. Yet. His friends Bob and Wade were like his hitman as they too wanted immortality. The three were best friends.

They had hung out all the time, whenever they could of course. Whether it was video games or drinking together, the three were so content with their lives and couldn't have had anything worse. 

They were currently slashimg the throat of Wade's newest reincarnation of his soulmate. It was a shame, but they had to do it. For Wade's immortality. Wade walked out of the small room with blood on his hands and splattered on his face. He looked at them with a small smile and they nodded their heads as they entered the room to begin cleaning up. They quickly disinfected Wade's choices of killing, a couple blades and a nail gun. Mark and Bob approved of his choice of killing then packed their things and walked out of the house.

-"Look, an airplane" Wade marveled as said transportation flew not too high above in the moonlit sky, landing at the airport a few miles away from the dead woman's house. 

None of them knew that the flight contained two passengers that would change their lives...

* * *

 

-"JACK!!!" Gwen shouted as she ran at him. Jack smiled as she squeezed the life out of his lungs in the process. He laughed at her joy and then a teenage girl charged behind Jack and into the arms of the other woman.

-"Gwen!!!" A young girl shouted as she ran to her. Gwen smiled widely and accepted her in her arms and kneeled down to be eye level with her.

-"Sam! My, you've grown so big since last I saw you! How old are you now? Six? Seven?" She asked, prattling. The young child giggled. 

-"No, aunty! I'm Eight now." she replied. Gwen smiled. 

-"Still surprised you won custody.." Gwen said. 

-"So did I.." Jack said, smiling at his daughter. 

-"So.. how are you doing?" She asked as she held the girl's hand and they walked to baggage claim.

-"Me? I'm fine.." Jack said. "The world is fine.."

-"Jack.. you just won custody of your child from the mother who was in tears. I mean, I respect the woman.. truly.. I do. But exactly how many honest hard working woman are out there?" Gwen said. Jack sighed. 

-"I know. I feel like tha bad guy sometimes.." Jack said. "But I work too! She just works more and rarely has time for our daughter" 

-"Okay. True. Did you at least set a schedule or something?" She asked. Jack nodded his head.

-"Yeah, she's gettin her in two months and keeps her for New Years Eve." Jack says as he smiles at her. Gwen nodded her head in approval.

-"Are we talking about mom?" Sam asked.

-"Yes, Sam." Jack said, smiling at her. The girl said nothing.

After getting their luggage, they made their way out the airport and saw a red car sitting there along with other cars, passengers loading their luggage.

-"By the way, I brought the newlyweds. they just got back from their honeymoon." Gwen said.

-"The Patrick's or the Kjellberg's?" Jack asked.

-"Mat and Steph.." she replied. Jack nodded his head and popped open the trunk.

-"Hey! Did you win?" Stephanie asked as they loaded their luggage in the car.

-"Aunty Stephanie!" Sam squealed as she hopped into the car. Matthew and Stephanie gushed over Sam as Jack and Gwen got in the front seats and began driving away from the airport. 

-"She looks like you.." Matthew said after asking her how school was.

-"Thank ye! She has my charms..." Jack said, winking.

-"Can we get Ice Cream?" The eight-year-old asked.

-"Apparently she has your hyperactiveness too. She's so energetic." Stephanie said. The girl giggled.

-"My daddy says I'm like a ball of electricity!" The girl exclaims. Matthew laughs.

-"That she is.." Jack says. As they stop at a stoplight. The others talk about the case with Jack as Sam rolls down the window. She is looking at the bright lights of L.A. when she sees the window of the car right by roll down. A man with colorful hair looks at her with a smile.

-"Awe, can we keep her?" He asked someone from inside the car.

-"No." Two voices said simultaneously. 

-"Hiya! I'm Sam!" She said sticking out her hand between cars. The man smiles and reaches out his own hand.

-"My name is--"

-"Sam! Don't be sticking your limbs out the window!" Stephanie scolds as she pulls the girl back in and rolls up the window. She didn't notice the man was sitting there looking sad not being able to introduce himself to the child fully.

The light turned green and they drove off in different directions. Sam got out of the car dutifully when they arrived and went to carry her small luggage inside the house.

-"Sam! Ugh. She's just as stubbrn as me, as well." Jack confessed. Matthew and Stephanie smiled and clasped their hands together. Jack sighed. He wished he could find his soulmate.

-"Cry and Felix are currently on their way from their honeymoon so I get to pick  _them_ up at eleven tomorrow." Gwen explained.

-"Goodnight." The three called from the living room. Jack saw Sam collapsed on the couch sleeping and he chuckled.

-"Alright so we're going to head out. We'll see you later Jack. And congratulations. Welcome back" Matthew said as he and Stephanie left. Jack carried Sam to their bedroom and he let her down as he flopped down and was out like a light.

* * *

-"How was the kill?" She asked as she shrugged off her coat. Wade chuckled.

-"Same ol', same ol'" Mark said from the couch. "Still feel a little bad that you and Matthew finally tied the knot" he added.

-"Yeah, yeah. We figured why not die in love than live alone forever.." Matthew said as he made his way upstairs.

-"it has it's perks!" Wade shouted after them.

-"Goodnight, you idiots." Matthew said. Stephanie was making her way up when Mark sat up.

-"Hey, Steph. You won't believe it. I saw the cutest kid a while ago." Mark said.

-"oh god.. not the lady's" she said.

-"no no, it was at a stop light. She was so adorable! She had like.. light hair and these adorable blue eyes" Mark said remembering the memory. Stephanie smiled from where she was on the stairs thinking of Sam suddenly.

-"Did you try and lure her with candy?" She asked, laughing.

-"nah, but we talked. I think her mom or something had interrupted us though." Mark said, smiling. 

-"Did you get a name?" Stephanie asked as she was almost to her door.

-"Yeah. Her name was Sam." Mark said. "Goodnight!" He called out before laying back down on the couch.

Stephanie froze once the door behind her closed. Matthew looked at her worriedly as he put down his book on the nightstand.

-"Are you okay, Steph?" He asked, concerned. Should she tell Matthew? They may be married but what relationshio doesn't have secrets?

-"Y-yeah.." she said. Mark took off his glasses.

-"Are you sure?" He asked again. She nodded her head and went to the bathroom where she began taking off her shoes and socks. 

-"Yeah.. I'm fine.." she said as she climbed into bed with her pajamas. She kissed his cheek before he turned off his light. She couldn't sleep for a good ten minutes as she worried about Mark meeting Sam and Jack. She and Matthew have been trying to keep Mark off of Jack's trail and praying he doesn't find him.

And they intended to keep it that way.


	2. None Of It Me...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam meets the man at the park,
> 
> Felix and Cry show up,
> 
> Stephanie gets a friend to protect the McLoughlin's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh heh.
> 
> This fic is going to be... so.. weird.
> 
> Okay.  
> Good luck.
> 
> Enjoy.

-"Can I go in the swings?" She asked. Jack chuckled at his daughter's enthusiasm.

-"Fine, Sam. But you come right back here." Jack said. She nodded and ran toward the park. Jack smiled as he continued going through his emails on his phone. They had decided to go to a park near Gwen's house as she was out, he sat at a picnic table with her small bag and him going through his phone. 

Sam was swinging happily, singing a song in her head when she saw the man with bright red hair. She smiled and quickly ran to him, catching him off guard. The man stobbed jogging and pulled off his headphones and smiled at the young girl.

-"Well Hello there" he said. She giggled.

-"You never told me your name!" She exclaimed. She had energy, Mark noticed.

-"Oh, my name is Mark. And you're name is Sam, right?" He asked. She smiled and nodded her head. "Well how are you this morning, Sam?" Mark asked. She shrugged and jumped on the concrete for a few seconds.

-"I'm with my dad! He's really nice. Want to meet him?" She asked. Mark nodded his head. A woman suddenly ran into Mark and she apologized countlessly.

-"oh Geez. Oh sorry, mister oh, god are you okay? Oh no. please tell me I did not break those headphones"  she said nervously.

-"I'm fine, it's alright." Mark replied, calming her worries. Sam had run ahead and looked back to see Mark talking with another sweating lady when she felt Jack stand next to her.

-"Sam! I thought you'd be at the swings. C'mon, we have to go back and get the house ready for Uncle Felix and Uncle Cry." Jack said.

-"No! Dad, I want you to meet my friend." She whined.

-"We'll meet them later, c'mon Sam." Jack said as he handed her her backpack and she took his hand and they walked away. 

Mark finished talking to the innocent girl when he turned and didn't see Sam. He looked up and searched then saw her holding hands with an older man, presumably her father. He was quite everage sized, kinda pale judging from his arms and neck, he had a plop of bright green hair and he was a bit skinny as well. Mark wondered where he recognized the body figure but shook the thought out of his mind and continued his daily jog.

As he put on his headphones and continued jogging, Brittnay quickly dialed a number and it answered on the third ring.

-" _any news?_ "

-"Yeah. They talked again. Sam and Mark, but I intervened on time to keep her from introducing them." She said.

-" _Oh thank you so much, Brittnay_ " Stephanie exhaled on the other side of the line.

-"no problem. Want me to keep tabs on Mark or the Irish?" She asked.

-" _Track Mark. Watch the McLoughlin's_ " Stephanie said.

-"Got it. Later." Brittnay said as she hung up. Brittnay began jogging out of the park and quickly followed Jack before she sprinted ahead and made surd they didn't see her before she ran down the neighborhood and quickly ran into Gwen's house. She ran upstairs, changed in her bedroom, then walked back downstairs and went into the kitchen. When she heard the front door open, she instinctively smiled and began walking to the front door.

-"is somebody breaking into my best friend's house or is it just a friendly Irishman I know?" She said. Jack smiled.

-"I'd never break into our best friend's home!" Jack said as he hugged her lightly. Sam felt like she recognized the woman. Eh.

* * *

 -"Is that who I think it is?" Wade said aloud. Mark looked to where Wade was and smiled at the person. She was waiting in line as she turned and her smile brithtened when she saw them.

-"Hey guys! How are ye?" She asked as they all quickly hugged.

-"We're great! What about you?" Mark asked. She shrugged. 

-"Same old life. I figured the best way to avoid  _my_ soulmate is to be living in the same town as them but keeping my distance.." she said, making a suggestive look at the both of them.

-"Okay, we know it looks bad but.. we're just taking an extra precaution.." Wade defended.

-"Mhmm." She said as she reached the register and payed for her things. She waited for Wade to pay for his snacks before they all left the snall gas station together.

-"Well it's been great seeing you guys, text me if you ever need anything. I got to go to a welcoming party for my friends." She said as she began making her way to her parked car.

-"Oh alright, want us to come?" Mark asked. She shook her head and smiled.

-"its fine. You might not know them anyway. They're just newlyweds and my Irish friend and his daughter." She said shrugging. Wade nodded in understanding.

-"Well it was nice catchinf up with you. Want to go eat somewhere later? I'll call you up for lunch.." Wade asked.

-"Yeah, that'd be fun. Okay, now go save a life or something.." she hurried as shd shooed them and waved them off. Mark and Wade said bye and quickly went back into the ambulance that they had filled with gas before going in to get some snacks.

-"That was nice, seeing Signe again." Mark said. Wade nodded his head as he ate some pringles.

-" ** _CRRK!_** _We have a bad accident on Willman Boulevard, can we get Paramedics on the scene and a firetruck from the nearest station._ " spoke an officer over the radio. Mark picked up the radio and answered back.

-"Paramedic Unit 7 is on its way. Be there in approximately 8 minutes. Over." Mark announced before Wade closed his pringles container and started up the Ambulance Truck. They drove away and towards the scene. Upon arriving, they saw a totalled car and another upside down. Mark and Wade immediately started assessing the damage of those not in the wreckage.

-"It all happened s-so fast.." a woman whispered as she shivered even though it was a a bright sunny day.

-"ma'am we're going to need you to tell us what happened. Are there any others trapped in the wreckage?" Wade asked in a business tone. She nodded her head. They heard a small shout. Mark and Wade looked at the car that was upside down and saw it was slowly catching on fire. Mark ran first and looked inside to see a small child strapped quite safely and tightly to a booster seat. Mark had tried unbuckling it when he heard the firetruck coming. Mark looked around and found a rather large piece of glass and used it to cut away at the straps. The child's releness screaming making the situation quite stressful. When cut through, placed his hand to hold the child from falling face first into ths glass debris below. He quickly go the kid to crawl out before he threw him on his hip and ran back to safety. He placed the kid on the ground and the mother ran to him, in tears. 

-"thank you, thank you so much! Oh my little James!" She said as she hugged the cryinf boy tightly.

-"It was no problem, ma'am. Just my job." Mark said as he rubbed his neck awkwardly. She helped carry the kid to where the others were sitting on the curb. The firetruck helped put out the fire from the car then began flipping it back correctly. Wade had begun wrapping and bandaging injuries. He handed Mark the kit wordlessly and Mark began manning with the injuries of the mother and the child. Once they finished, Mark and Wade got back into their car since the Fire Department chose to drive the families to the Police station this time.

-"I think you've become super human or something..." Wade said as they drove back to the hospital.

-"I just saved a kid. I've done it before.." Mark replied. Wade shrugged as he steered into the small area where other Ambulances are.

-"If you say so, Fischbach." Wade said as they climbed out with their snacks and jackets.

-"Wanna go hit some pool with Bob later?" Wade asked. Mark nodded his head.

-"As if I would every say no.." Mark replied with a big grin.

* * *

 -"When are they getting here!" She whined again. Jack sighed.

-"Soon, sweetheart.." Jack replied to Sam. He made sure everything was in place when he saw Brittnay again.

-"Oh, it's so fancy. And it looks like..a..funeral. why does it look so morose?" Brittnay asked suddenly confused.

-"It's Black and Purple! They luv Black and Purple!" Jack said, shrugging.

-"Uh, no" she said.

-"Uh, yeah." Jack countered.

-"Just cause Cry likes Black and the wedding was purple and white doesn't mean they like it..." she said.

-"Oi, I decorated, ye made the food. Shut it." Jack said. She laughed indignantly.

-"Are they here yet?" Signe shouted as she walked into the house.

-"Signe?" Jack asked.

-"Oh Jack!!! You're here!" She exclaimed as she enveloped him in a hug.

-"Aunty Wiishu!" Sam exclaimed as she clung onto her leg.

-"hiya, Sam!" She greeted as she hugged the girl and had her let go of her leg. "I see you won custody against Anne..."[0C] Signe said.

-"Yeah.. it was rough but we came to an agreement and the last stages of the trial ended up being less of a struggle." Jack explained. Signe nodded her head as a car pulled up.

-"Shit, they're here!" Brittnay cursed as she ran to the kitchen to check on some cupcakes.

-"Refrain yourself from cussing." Jack scolded. They all took their places beside the door and when the door opened the four of them shouted 'Surprise!'

Felix and Cry were smiling at them as they entered...or..at least Felix was.. maybe Cry. They couldn't tell.

-"I knew there was something up with your attitude, bro." Felix said as he turned to punch Jordan's arm lightly. Jordan laughed and walked inside beside the other two. Gwen locked the door and tail-ended them as she closed the door behind them. 

-"FOOD'S READY!!" Brittnay shouted from the kitchen as she pulled out a warm batch of cupcakes. She put them in the freezer and began taking out decorations for the cupcakes from the refrigerator and got the frosting out. 

-"How was your honeymoon?" Jack asked.

-"Horny. How is Annabeth?" Felix replied.

-"Gwen, what's horny?" Sam asked, tugging on her scarf. Gwen gave Felix a murderous glare.

-"Sam, I think Brittnay needs your help with the cupcakes.." Gwen said as she led her to the kitchen then turned around and threatened to smack a giggling Felix.

-"She's fine. Still busy but fine.." Jack replied. Cry nodded his head and Felix poked the mask.

-"What.." Cry asked.

-"Sorry, figured you died." Felix replied. Cry wrapped his arm around Felix's waist.

-"Do this seem undead to you?" He whispered as he pushed up his mask a little and kissed Felix slowly. Then he pulled back down his mask and stood beside him with his back straight as if he didn't do what he just did. Gwen giggled before Brittnay tapped her shoulder.

-"Why did Satan's spawn over there just ask me what 'Horny' is?" She asked. Felix burst into giggles and Jack punched his shoulder.

-"Ugh... she's just as curious as her fatherm." Jack grumbled.

-"Maybe she's not as straight either..." Gwen said. Jack rolled his eyes.

-"DADDY!" she shouted as shs ran up to him and hugged his legs.

-"Daddy indeed" Cry whispered. Gwen turned around and smacked Felix's arm. 

-"Ow! That wasn't me!" He pleaded. She pointed a threatening finger at Cry as he chuckled.

-"If I was you... I'd watch my mouth..." she warned. Felix flinged his hands up in fake surrender.

-"Food's ready!" Brittnay shouted again. They all began walking to the kitchen and getting food on some paper plates when the front door rang. Sam went to answer the door and Jack followed her. She threw open the door and she smiled brightly.

-"Hi mommy!" She giggled. Jack reached the door as his heart plummeted. When he reached the door he saw her standing there in the one outfit he rarely saw her wear. A small T-Shirt, blue jeans and her hair loose instead of it's regular wavy or ponytail style.

-"Hi, baby!" She cooed to Sam as she hugged her. Anne stood up straight and smiled at Jack.

-"W-what are you doing here?" He asked. She smiled lightly before giving him a small envelope.

-"I figured this might be good news, we can still do the whole transition schedule if you want.. but.. I found my soulmate." She said. Jack looked up and smiled at her.

-"This is the guy?" Jack asked.

-"Yeah, I know." She said, as she blushed.

-"Oh I'm so proud of you!" Jack said as he hugged her.

-"Okay, I have to go. He's waiting in the car." She said. She said goodbye to their daughter and quickly ran back to said car and she got in before it drove away. 

-"Oh, why do you have a picture of Ryan?" Signe asked when he closed the door.

-"Who? Oh.. uh--"

-"Mommy stopped by to say she found her soulmate!" Sam exclaimed. Signe smiled and looked at Jack jaw dropped.

-"Really? Wow, that's so cool." Signe said. Jack nodded his head and they went back to their celebratory dinner. Jack thought about if his soulmate was somewhere out there. He hoped to meet her or him. He hoped.

 

Meanwhile...

Mark suddenly woke up from a dream. A strange dream.

_There was a man beside the girl, Sam. She was holding onto his hand for dear life as they ran from a figure only to have her trip. The man was going too fast and had stopped a second too late to notice his daughter had fallen. As he doubles back to help her, the mysterious figure grabs the girl and--_

He woke up. Mark was suddenly drenched in sweat. He looked out the window to see it was still daytime. He looked at his messages to see one from Signe.

**_Still wanna come to the party?_ **

Mark remembered he should probably reply  so he did.

**** **Send me the address, be there soon.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA AND SO THE PLOT THICKENS.
> 
> ._. Condemn my soul.


	3. You Put Your Hands All Over My Body...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark and Jack meet for the first time,
> 
> Stephanie and Signe panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad so many of you like this! I'm honestly surprised. Anywhore, Enjoy!
> 
> Kudos & Comments are very much appreciated.

Mark was wearing his lucky flannel, a white shirt and some black skinny jeans. He was a little excited to be at the party. Mark saw a couple cars on the driveway so he parked right on the street. He got out of the car and he knocked on the front door.

That's when he felt it.

The tug. The oh so familiar tug that his soulmate was nearby. The tug felt stronger and stronger when the front door suddenly swung open and stood in front of Mark... the most beautiful man he has ever seen.

He had toxic green hair, some small diamond, but manly, earrings. He was wearing a simple striped shirt and jeans. His shoes had small little green eyes littering them. He had a bit of a stubble, as much as Mark's. He was about Mark's size if not, a couple inches snaller maybe. He snelled like vanilla and...and safety.

This man was his soulmate. This...this man.. was going to have to unfortunately die. For Mark's....f-for Mark's uh...

 _Why am I supposed to kill him?_ Mark suddenly thought.

-"M-my name is Jack.. I'm sorry, have we met before?" Jack asked as he too stared longingly at Mark. He shook his head and was suddenly up close next to Jack. Their bodies barely apart. Their faces mere inches from each other. Mark was looking into those soft, blue eyes. Mark coukd see a future with them together... a life. He saw the sea sparkling in those eyes, the blue iciness wanting Mark to not meddle with him. Mark slowly looked at Jack who stared at the delicate chocolate brown eyes. They contained hope and love. But also something dark like a secret they were hiding.

-"My name is Mark.." he whispered. Jack let out a small breath. Mark and Jack slowly, slowly leaned into each other when they heard a car door slam. Both startled by the nosie backed up and Mark looked out the door to see Stephanie looking scared and Matthew looking worried.

-"Hey, you two" he said with a smile. Mark nor Jack could tell if it was fake, he was a good actor after all.

-"H-hey.. w-what're you doing here, Mark?" Stephanie asked, trying a nervous smile.

-"Uhm, Signe invited me to the party." He said. They nodded their heads before excusing themselves inside. Jack closed the door and felt Mark press up behind him. Mark took a deep breath and burned under the smell. 

-"What's a pretty thing like you eating alone?" Mark asked. Jack turned around and looked at him before smirking.

-"What's a handsome man like you walking into a party without a date.." Jack replied, just as smooth.

-"Touche.." Mark said. 

-"Daddy! It's the man I made friends with at the park!" Sam suddenly exclaimed. They both turned to look at her and kept a good distance from each other. Wait.. did she just call Jack--

-"Him? Oh.. t-that's great.." Jack said. He led Sam back to the backyard where everyone else was. Mark was fucked.

* * *

 

-"Wait... are you serious..." Signe said, suddenly afraid.

-"Yes!" They whispered at her. "And now they've met and... oh.god.. I'm scared Mark's going to lose it..." Stephanie said.

-"I didn't know what the damn man looked like! Jesus! Anne had just swung by earlier to tell Jack she found  _her_ soulmate." Signe muttered as she drank her lemonade.

-"We have to pray to god they don't interact any more.." Matthew cautioned. Mark was shaking in the kitchen meanwhile. Jack was helping Sam put some cupcakes on a plate, their backs turned toward him. Mark was holding a knife shakily, as he raised it, Jack began turning around and Mark hid it behind his back.

-"Oh hey." Jack said as he passed by, silently screaming and exploding in joy on the inside. He placed the extra cupcakes on the table outside along with some other food. Mark put back the knife and walked out, keeping his distance from Jack.

Gwen noticed something was up so she pulled Jack to the side.

-"What's wrong?" She asked, concerned. 

-"That guy over there.. yeah, I think he's my soulmate." Jack whispered. Gwen squealed quietly and hugged Jack. 

-" That guy over there? Yeah, I think he's my soulmate.." Mark whispered to Matthew. The latter nodded his head in approval as if he didn't know about this information before.

-" What exactly are you going to do about it?" Stephanie asked, keeping her nervousness on the low.

-"The attraction with this guy is stronger than the others... I guess I'll just have to push through it." Mark replied, shrugging. Matthew and Stephanie silently screamed.

-"Go talk to him!" Gwen urged. Jack laughed and shook his head. He looked to see Mark looking at him with pity and simplicity.

-"Cupcakes, anybody?" Sam asked. Brittnay gladly took another cupcake and ate it in joy. Gwen gave her a look of hilarity.

-" So, have you two ever met?" Gwen asked. Jack shook his head, he glanced again and saw Mark still giving him _that look_ again. Why was he looking at Jack like that? Then he suddenly began walking up toward Jack and held him by his neck. He was pinned against the side of the house. Jack tried to shout for help but saw nobody was there. Everyone was gone. Mark smiled and then Jack felt something warm against his neck. He looked down and saw warm blood flowing down his shirt and neck. Mark was smiling at him before he felt his neck snap. Jack fell to the ground and saw Mark hold Sam's hand, bloodily, and walked away with her. Jack tried making a noise but he couldn't. His neck was cut open and he was dead. He was dead. _Dead._

 _-_ "Are you okay?" Mark asked, snapping Jack out of his sudden daze. Jack looked at him staring at Jack with a raised eyebrow and a smirk tugging at his lips.

-"Uh, yeah. I'm fine. What was the question?" Jack asked. Gwen gave him a confused look.

-"I asked what do you do for a living.." Mark replied. Jack was standing there awkwardly.

-"I uh.. I'm a apart of a video game design team with Matthew and Jordan." Jack replied, somehow ashamed of his job. Mark nodded his head and gave him a smile. Mark was feeling strangely comfortable and... happy.. being with Jack. His normal animalistic instinct is to kill his soulmate but for reason... he felt happy. And he _did not like it._

-"What do you do again, Mark?" Gwen asked.

-"He's a paramedic for the local hospital. Yeah, he sees blood and gore frequently. Don't you, _Mark._ " Signe said as she secretly pinched his side in warning. Mark nodded his head and took another drink of his beer.

* * *

 

-"I am so screwed, Wade." Mark groaned as he walked into his house. Wade suddenly rose from the couch where he was playing Rocket League.

-"Why what happened?" He asked. Mark flopped onto the recliner beside the sofa and groaned. After the party, he had chosen to walk to Wade's refusing to go to his house where he would probably be reaching for a weapon of his choice to find Jack and kill him. But he didn't want to. He couldn't. his mind was saying that it's the right decision. For Immortality. Mark chuckled at the thought of it. Never aging, but still being able to die didn't exactly count as Immortality although that's what people nowadays called it.

-"I found my soulmate... he's the father of the little girl I met--" Mark began to say before Wade chuckled.

-"So kill him, like you always do. I don't see why you're screwed" Wade said.

-"My heart is getting to me and telling me not to." Mark replied. Wade looked at him before bursting into a fit of giggles.

-"Y-you're heart? What're you some cheesy romantic novel? Okay, Bella, good luck between choosing Jacob or Edward" Wade said as he laughed even harder at his joke. Mark rolled his eyes. He had met Wade at a birthday party for a friend of theirs back in 1923, in Chicago. Mark had instantly connected with Wade after their incoherent conversation based on their view on music and forms of dancing that had come about. Mark was surprised to find out wade had not met his soulmate for the past 68 years and Mark took him under his wing ever since.

-"Wade, I'm being serious.. I can't.. god, I just don't know what's wrong." Mark said, uneasy about the feeling he was getting in his stomach. Were those.. butterflies? The hell?

-"Mark, it's just another simple kill... you do it nearly every three decades. C'mon it's fin. You're fine." Wade had insisted, even though he too had a nagging fear about Mark's mental state at the moment.

-"I'm going to sleep it off. Maybe it was the booze or something." Mark announced as he made his way over to Wade's couch. Wade sighed and gave a good minute or two to think about what he could do to help his friend.

-"I'll be back. What was his name this time?" Wade asked as he shrugged on his coat and grabbed his car keys.

-"Jack..." Mark mumbled into the pillow he chose to sleep on. As the front door closed, Mark realized what Wade was about to do. But he made no motion to stop it.

* * *

Sam was finally put to bed, Jack slowly closed the door of the guest room and Jack smiled at Stephanie as she walked over and hugged him.

-"I'm so glad you're back" She said. Jack chuckled.

-"I missed ye too, Steph" Jack replied. A little after, she let go of her embrace and patted his shoulder once before announcing she was going to bed. Jack made his way down the stairs, choosing to sleep on the sofa tonight. He couldn't stop thinking about Mark for most of the night. He was so _gorgeous._ Jack had remembered how damn hot mark was after letting him in... but then he gave Jack that _look_ of such... disappointment and caring pity. Jack tossed and turned a little at the memory.

He was slowly drifting asleep when he heard it. A Knock on the door. Jack laid still for a bit before he heard it again. Jack willingly stood up and went to answer it as he heard someone's footsteps on the stairs.

-"Who's there?" Stephanie asked. Jack shrugged and he opened the door to see a rather tall man standing in the doorway.

-"Hi, I'm looking for Jack?" He said.

-"Wade, no--"

-"I'm Jack, wadda ye need meh for?" Jack asked. The man suddenly grabbed him by the collar of his old shirt and Jack kicked his stomach reflexively. He turned around and saw Stephanie running at the man.

-"Wade, what the hell are you--" she began to exclaimed before he shoved her backward and she fell.

-"Daddy?" Sam asked at the top of the stairs. Matthew rushed past her and down the stair as Wade made his advance on Jack who was scooting backward into the sofa. Wade grabbed his arm forcefully and tugged him along.

-"Wade! Let him go!" Matthew shouted as he tried forcing Wade's arm from Jack's. Wade gave one punch at Matthew before he fell to the ground holding his jaw.

-"Daddy!" Sam shouted as she ran down the stairs, fell on the last one and Stephanie caught her. They watched as the an threw Jack into the backseat and drove away.

* * *

-"I got what you asked for.." a man had said.

-"This isn't what I wanted!" another voice exclaimed. Jack tried to look at his surroundings but only saw darkness. The lights might be off?

-"I'm giving you your chance to do it right now. Don't let your 'heart' get in the way. Just kill him" the original voice replied. Kill him? They were going to kill Jack? Why?!

-"Wade... ugh.. fine.." the other voice responded. Wade. Jack remembered when Steph and Matthew called the man who kidnapped him Wade. Jack's brain started working endlessly to try and figure out what was going on before a door suddenly opened behind Jack and light poured into what seemed to be a basement. there was plastic tarp covering the floor in walls with a light shade of pink tinted on them. oh god.. they're professionals.

-"Who's there? Why are ye doing this?" Jack said. He saw a glint in the side view of his eye and saw a small little rolling cart with.. knives and drills and other horrifying things. Jack struggled and tried to move but realized a little late that his feet and wrists have been tied to a disposable lawn chair. Jack looked up to see Mark looking at him.. with that look again.

-"I'm so sorry, Jack.." Mark said as he picked up a small blade and looked at it shamefully. "But I don't wanna die. I don't have to die... sadly, you do." He said as he gave one quick swipe across Jack's cheek, pain becoming apparent to his brain and his face stinging in sudden pain.

-"Why are ye doing this.." Jack half-whispered. He looked up to see Mark giving him that look before smiling.

-"I want to be immortal, Jack." he replied, Jack's eyes widened. How _old_ was this guy? "But don't you worry, Jack. I'll take care of Sam for you. She'll be in good hands... I can promise you that much." Mark said before he picked up a drill and gave it a practice twirl before giving Jack a cruel smile.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, time to fuck with everyone's emotions <3


	4. And Told Me... You Told Me You Were Ready...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark, Bob and Wade begin the manhunt for Jack,
> 
> meanwhile Brittnay and a few others retaliate to protect him and Sam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the subject I'm kind of bad at, making this last a verrry long time. So this is going to be a little hard to do but if you see something wrong or believe something should be corrected in these next few chapters don't hesitate telling me. Aight, Enjoy this chapter!!!

-"What the hell did he do?" Matthew spit out. Jack flinched at the sudden raise of his voice.

-"Matthew.." Stephanie scolded.

-"No, I want to know what the hell Mark did to Jack." Matthew snapped. He parked the car beside a 24-hour local restaurant and turned in his seat to look at a very damaged Jack. His face was cut up in different places, he had a couple bruises where Mark had.. had just put his hands all over his body. He wasn't raped, thank god. But he felt so.. hurt. Jack had a gash in his leg from when he tried to escape the second time and a hole where Mark had drilled into his shoulder for a few seconds before he escaped on his sixth try. He immediately wandered the streets and looked for a ride home and got nothing. He walked for what felt like a few hours before they stopped on the road and now they're here.

-"H-he.. cut me...and punched...and grabbed and-and-and he... oh god just please let me see me daught'r" Jack said as he hugged himself slowly. He thought his soulmate would be.. would be nice and caring and sweet.. not some blood thirsty animal who just wants to live forever. What kind of person wants that?

-"I swear to God I am going to _fucking make him **pay**!_ " Matthew shouted angrily as he smacked the palm of his hand onto the sides of the steering wheel.

-"Honey.. you need to calm d--"

-"I CANNOT BE _CALM_ KNOWING ONE OF OUR _FRIEND'S_   WAS JUST TORTURED BY HIS OWN SOULMATE" Matthew shouted.

-"OKAY! I get it! Yes, Jack is hurt but he wants to see his daughter who had to cry herself asleep because she was worried about her father, Matthew!" Stephanie retaliated. Matthew took a deep breath.

-"Okay. I'm sorry.. I'm just frustrated is all..." he replied before he turned on the car and they made their way back to the Patrick residence. The ride there was mostly silent. When the car stopped on their driveway, Jack tried running into the house and he found Sam on the sofa, sleeping slightly. Jack took a relieving breath at the sight of her when he heard shouting outside. Jack turned around and idly stood beside the door as he watched.

-"You ass!" Stephanie exclaimed as she shoved the other guy, Wade.

-"Look, I just wanted to apologize for whatever's about to happen." Wade said as he took the shove and kept his balance.

-"What the hell do you mean 'whatever's about to happen'?" Matthew asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

-"You'll see.." was all he said before he got in his car and left. Jack walked toward the sofa and curled around her as Matthew and Stephanie walked in and closed the door. They chose not to do or say anything and left the sleeping family in peace as they went upstairs. Jack decided to fall asleep at the sound of his daughter's light breathing.

* * *

**_Two Weeks Later . . ._ **

-"I like cookie dough!" Sam said as they walked through the little shop. It's been near two weeks later since Jack's mini kidnapping. He sometimes wakes up at night from sudden nightmares from that night. Gwen helped him get an apartment from a really nice place. Jack and Sam came into a routine before she had to go to school. Tomorrow was the first day of school and Jack had promised to give her ice cream the day before.

-"I heard the mint chocolate is amazing" a tall man said. Jack looked over at him, he had glasses and was fairly big. He looked friendly.

-"Thanks for your input." Jack thanked the man. Said man was smiling at him and stuck out his hand.

-"Name's Bob." he said with a firm shake.

-"Jack" he replied.

-"And I'm Sam!" the little girl exclaimed happily. Both men chuckled. Jack went up to the counter and ordered some ice cream for all three of them, despite the man's protests.

-"so are you from here?' Jack asked as he ate his ice cream.

-"Yeah, I work at a local pub... what about you?" he said as he ate his own.

-"I'm working on designing a game" Jack replied. Sam was walking next to him, holding the hem of his green flannel and they were heading to the park.

-" Oh nice, what's it about?" Bob asked as they walked into the small park and walked alongside each other.

-"Just a typical adventure and story-plot game" Jack replied. A phone suddenly rang and broke the silence and the conversation, in which Bob answered it.

-"Hello?" He asked. Bob departed away from them and took his call away, Jack and Sam chose to sat by a bench and as they looked up at the trees, Jack noticed a glint in his peripheral vision and turned to find the source of light to see a man brooding behind a tree looking at Jack. He was wearing broody sunglasses and he quickly took a side-step behind the tree. Jack had an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach.

-"Daddy?" Sam asked again, shaking Jack from his thoughts.

-"Yes, Sam?" Jack asked looking down at her.

-"What happened to my friend?" She asked as she looked at her green-haired father. Jack looked at her before avoiding her gaze and feeling her tug at the hem of his flannel again.

-"H-he's busy." Jack replied after a while.

-"Sorry, I have to go do something important. Would you want to exchange information?" Bob asked as he walked back to the bench.

-"Yeah, yeah sure." Jack said as he began pulling out his phone. They exchanged numbers and emails and then Bob had left the park. After a couple more minutes, Jack and Sam began leaving as well.

As they were reaching the neighborhood for his apartment, Jack had a feeling against his neck and he didn't know what it was but he didn't like it. It was like someone was breathing coldly down his neck. Jack turned around instinctively and saw a man in a large coat suddenly turn off the sidewalk and into a random crook between the buildings. Jack walked slightly faster each time her turned and saw the same man walk away. Jack clung onto Sam's hand for dear life.

-"Daad!" she whined.

-"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Jack asked as he looked down at his daughter and stopped momentarily.

-"My hand hurts" she complained. Jack looked at her hand and noticed it was very white from how hard Jack was holding it. He released is grip and she instead clung onto his flannel again. Then he turned his head and saw the man was walking quite briskly towards them. Jack began walking faster and turned his head every now and then to see the man walking and maneuvering his way through the crowd just as fast as Jack is. Jack reached his apartment building and darted inside with his daughter tailing behind him. Jack opened the elevator and then they instead took the stairs. Jack held Sam's hand again as they clambered up the stairs. Suddenly, on the second floor, they heard the stairwell door open behind them and Jack looked over the railing to see the man give a disapproving grunt and start chasing after them. Jack kept running until he was tired and reached the fourth floor.

Jack threw open the door and closed it right behind him, They walked as calmly as they could as they reached their door. Jack opened it with his key and locked it behind him. He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Then he heard banging on the door. Jack froze and Sam was holding herself as she looked at Jack worried.

-"Daddy, what's that." she asked with concern in her voice. Jack looked through the peephole and saw a figure leave the door. Jack counted to ten before he chose to unlock and open the door. Jack looked out in the hall and saw nothing then realized there was an orange envelope on the ground. Jack gingerly picked it up and then gave one last look in the hall before he closed and locked the door. He turned to see Sam had ran off and he walked farther into the apartment and opened the envelope. He saw inside four pictures and a note. All four pictures were of him walking out of the office that he worked at, Sam skipping down the sidewalk with him the day they checked into her new school, the front sign of the school she went to and the umber of his apartment right on his door. Jack felt himself panicking and turned over the note at the end of the pile which read:

_**Watch Yourself, Jackaboy** _

Jack started crouching on the ground and breathing harshly. Sam walked into the living room ad saw him on the ground.

-"Daddy are you okay?" she asked as she walked over to him.

-"G-go..*shuttered gasp* t-t-to your room *gasp*" Jack said between gasps and wheezing. Sam began to tear up and look for his phone which was throne on the couch. She picked it up and opened it. After a while of looking through his contacts, she dialed Gwen as best she could.

-" _Hey Jack! What's up? How was Ice Cream with little Sammy?_ " Gwen said enthusiastically over the phone.

-"Hai Aunty! Jack is on the floor and he's breathing funny." Sam said over the phone innocently.

-" _Wait what? Sam? I-is he clutching at his chest?_ " She asked. Sam nodded her head and then it took her a moment to realize that Gwen probably couldn't see her.

-"Yeah. he is." she replied.

-" _I am on my way. Just count to him, Sam. Could you do that? Count with him._ " She replied before hanging up. Sam put the phone back and walked over to Jack who was shaking violently, clutching at his chest frantically and sweat gathering on his forehead.

-"Daddy, aunty Gwen is coming but she told me to count with you. So let's count" She explained to him. Jack nodded his head frantically.

-"One...Two...Three...Four.." Sam began to count off. Jack nodded his head each time he counted along with her. They were reaching close to 200 when Gwen knocked at the front door. Sam began standing up and went to unlock it. She walked in and kneeled next to Jack who's breathing was finally better.

-"Are you okay?" She whispered gently as she rubbed his shoulder.

-"I-I don't know.." he whispered back. Sam ran to her room and hid there. Gwen picked up the photos he had dropped on the floor and she read the note.

-"The hell? Who took these?" She asked. Jack shrugged and looked at her weakly.

-"I don't know but I am so scared something is going to happen." Jack replied. Gwen shook her head.

-"No, Jack. I'll make sure nothing happens... I promise" she assured him as he was embrace In her hug.

* * *

It's been a couple days and Jack had lost his sense of paranoia after awhile since he's been suddenly swarmed with work. He's been making offers and arranging deals with the computer networks and other game consoles to make their game as mobile as possible which ranges from both PC games to XboxOne. Jack and Matthew had been sleeping at each others' homes just to do overnight work.

-"Have you been secretly screwing my husband?" Stephanie asked one day. Jack laughed out loud at that and she gave a hearty giggle.

-"I can assure ye, Steph. I am not screwing Matthew." he replied. Stephanie laughed harder and Jack continued his loud cackling.

Jack was hanging out with Brittnay one day while Sam was at school when they walked into the grocery store with their wallets and bags prepared. They went down the aisles and gathered food together. Hers consisting of more chocolatey products and Jack's with fruits and vegetables.

-"Why so healthy?" She asked as he grabbed two packs of baby carrots.

-"Why so chocolatey?" Jack asked. She smirked and threw in another container of Nutella into her own cart.

-"Oh crap! I forgot cheese. I'll be right back, watch our carts" Jack exclaimed as he began running toward the dairy aisle again.

When he looked for the cheese blocks, he picked up mozzarella and began walking back when someone walking past him bumped into him and slipped an envelope into his hand. jack ignored it until he realized he had more than cheese in his hand. Jack curiously looks for the man that bumped into him but didn't see the man he bumped into. Then he saw the envelope had the letter **_J_** on it. Jack curiously opened it and saw a picture of Sam happily doing something on her desk and there was a picture date on the corner and it read today's date. Jack felt himself panicking and looked around him to see a man looking straight at him. He couldn't really see his face but saw his eyes staring at him between a thick scarf and a hat. Jack stared at him and then he felt someone pull his shoulder back.

-"Dude!" Brittnay repeated again, getting Jack's attention.

-"What?!" he asked in a panicking tone.

-"Woah... what's wrong?" She asked suddenly concerned rather than annoyed.

-"that guy is watching me." Jack said as he turned and pointed to... a now empty area...

-"What guy?" Brittnay asked as she looked over his shoulder to see nobody standing there.

-"T-there was a guy and he left me this!" Jack exclaimed as he gave her the photo.

-"Woah... shady.." Brittnay said. Jack nodded his head as she pursed her lips. "Keep an eye on her" was all she said.

* * *

It's near Christmas here and Jack was ecstatic. It's been a month since the grocery store incident. Jack was throwing a little party at his house and he figured why not send Mark an invitation through Matthew. Jack was setting up the decorations and was enjoying his time doing so. Stephanie and Jordan were baking in the kitchen as he was finishing his decorations.

-"We're home!" Matthew shouted as he held up two wine bottles. Stephanie laughed and he walked into the kitchen to help Gwen cooking. Sam was getting the cheesy Christmas music ready on the music player and Jack was finishing his décor.

-"This is going to be so much fun!" Brittnay squealed as she walked out of the bathroom with a glittery red dress.

-"Anybody want to dance?" Jack asked as he winked at Brittnay. She giggled and they danced to the music lazily. Sam had left the radio on some latin pop channel as she ran to her room to get her stuffed teddy bear. Matthew, Stephanie, Jordan and Gwen were swaying along in the kitchen as they were finishing the sweets and the meal. Brittnay giggled as jack spun her around weakly and they danced in sync for a while.

-"You're really good at dancing!" She said, laughing.

-"living in the middle of buttfuck nowhere in a cabin has its perks" jack replied, shrugging. There was a knock at the door and Jack went to answer it to see Anne and her presumable soulmate standing next to her.

-"Hey, welcome!" Brittnay said.

-"Hi, Jack.." She said as she went in to hug him. jack took it and smiled at her and saw the man standing next to her.

-"Hi, I'm Arin"[Game grumps] he said as he shook Jack's hand.

-"Jack. I'm the ex that stole our child" He replied.

-"Oh Jack, you tease. Where is she by the way?" Anne asked.

-"Mommy!" Sam exclaimed in cue as she ran and hugged her mother's legs.

-"I think we agreed I'll give her back by St. Patrick's she asked. Jack nodded his head and she smiled. Arin closed the door behind him and then Brittnay began dancing a little again. Jack laughed and he swayed along with her. Anne and Arin got into the pace and danced with them. Soon enough, everyone was joining in with them right next to the door and danced to the fun latin pop, even Sam was swaying with her teddy bear. Gwen turned the music up louder and they were dancing with smiles on their faces. Jack was swaying right next to Gwen and they giggled like teenagers as they danced with the others.

But then Matthew ran to the kitchen and the other three with him to get the food out. Arin and Anne held hands and walked over to the sofas and sat down, laughing. Jack kneeled down and held Sam's hands in his, enjoying his last night with his daughter. she giggled as he kissed her forehead multiple times. Anne smiled at his antics before the door suddenly burst open. two men wearing ski masks suddenly grabbed Jack and Sam. Both let out yells before their mouths were clamped shut. Everyone turned to see them being pulled out of the front door. Arin stood up and ran to the door before it was suddenly closed on them. Brittnay ran out the door with Arin and they looked down both hallways to see them dragging them into the elevator. They began sprinting past each other to reach the elevator but it closed unluckily for them and they slammed at the door uselessly. they turned on their heel and ran for the other end of the hallway to go down the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the words of Brittney Spears:  
> Oops, I did it again.


	5. For the Big One... For The Big Jump...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack wakes up in a room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehm... So this is going to be a very disturbing chapter.

Jack woke up to the light shining down on him.

He turned around in the seat he was in to look at his surroundings. It was a large vast area, there was another empty chair that barely faded away from the light that was shining on him. Jack realized his arms were tied behind the chair, ankles strapped to the legs of the chair.

A deep chuckle broke the sudden silence around him and Jack tensed at the noise.

-"I appreciated your invite to the party..." Mark said as he came view into the light leading a small tray with wheels with weapons on them.

-"Mark please.. I didn't do anything to you!" Jack begged.

-"Oh.. I know, I know, I _know_. But when it comes to striving to be immortal....you're _the only_ obstacle in my way." Mark said, darkly. He gave him that pitying and disappointing look again.

-"W-where's my daughter?" Jack asked as he looked around him remembering the other person he was kidnapped with.

-"Dead and buried..." Mark replied.

-"NO!" Jack shouted as he struggled with his restraints.  "No no no, please tell me she's okay.." Jack said as he felt tears begin to fall down his eyes.

-"I would never hurt her, Jack.." Mark mumbled, praying that Jack heard. He did.

-"Oh thank god.." Jack said with a relieved sigh.

-"But I will hurt you..." Mark replied as he spun and had a knife to Jack's neck in a few seconds. Jack sat there with fear filling his eyes. Mark loved it when his victims had that. "You and I? We're going to have a lot.. of _fun_." Mark said with an evil smirk.

Mark moved away with the blade and Jack felt a small prick of blood coming from here he had it. Jack sat there struggling with his restraints again, knowing damn well Mark must be some serial killer professional or something since they were both: not too tight but also not at all loose.

-"Mark! We have company!" Wade shouted. Mark looked over Jack's shoulder and saw Wade standing by the door nervously.

-"Don't go anywhere." Mark said in a sing-song voice as he walked over to Wade. "The hell is going on?" Mark asked.

-"I don't know but it might be Stephanie and Matthew by the looks of their firing stances. One's left shouldered and the other is right." Wade explained as they marched toward the front doors. Mark stepped out when he felt a bullet whiz barely by his ear. He turned around to see two people being illuminated by the moonlight as they turned and hid behind a large empty cargo casket.

-"It's not nice to shoot your best pal, Matthew." Mark announced loudly.

-"YOU TOOK THEM" Stephanie shouted behind the large shield they had.

-"Aww, that fucking sucks. Tell someone who cares!" Wade shouted back.

At that moment, two gunshots rang through the air and one hit Wade in the shoulder. He hissed in pain before shooting a couple bullets where he saw the sudden burst of light.

-"Guess what, Wade. YOU MISSED." Brittnay announced as she rose from the ancient fountain.

-"Brittnay?" Wade asked in shock.

-"Did you know I had a twin? Living in the outskirts of fucking L.A. and then I go to her house and realize she's gone missing?" Brittnay said as she walked towards them in a black trenchcoat, black boots and a Christmas hat.

-"W-wait what?" He asked, shocked by her presence.

-"Like I said, Wade. I guess you missed." She said as she fired a shot toward him but he quickly barrel rolled. Mark pulled out a throwing knife and sent it flying toward her quick she caught with her boot as she high kicked. The boot must have had a high density of plastic or something since she easily removed it from her boot without injuring herself.

-"You tried, Mark." Brittnay said with a sarcastically sweet smile. Mark and Wade ran back into the warehouse and quickly closed the doors and latched them shut. Mark stomped over toward Jack's chair.

-"How the hell did you contact them?!" Mark shouted as he began choking Jack."HUh?! HOW?"

-"w-w-wot?" Jack managed to say with Mark's rather large hands around his neck."

-"HOW. The HELL. DID. YOU. CON-TACT. THEM." Mark shouted as he punched Jack's gut with each syllable. He wheezed.

-"I-I don't know what you're talking abo--" Jack began to plead before the doors to the warehouse suddenly blew up. within the shadows of the smoke stepped out Matthew, Stephanie, Felix, Cry, Arin, Brittnay, and Anne.

-"Honey, I'm home!" Brittnay announced in a sweet voice. Anne used her gun to aim at Mark but he spun the chair around and held a knife to Jack's neck as he hid behind him. Anne gasped and suddenly Wade and Bob appeared with large weapons.

-"You don't _have_ a home here..." Wade said before opening fire on them. Everybody ducked out of the way and the other two also hid. Wade slid a gun toward Mark and he grabbed it, still hidden behind Jack.

-"If you didn't call them, how did they find us?" Mark warned as he pressed the barrel of the gun next to Jack's chin. Mark let go of his chokehold but he held two fingers where his main blood vessel is on his neck.

-"I-I don't know..." Jack whispered, fearing his life and the life of his friends. Mark felt an even pulse and could hear the fear coming from Jack. Mark having spent more than a century watching the way other people and his old soulmates acted was that they were good liars, but Mark could see through his lies. Perks of having a soulmate. Mark knew Jack wasn't lying.

-"No!" someone suddenly shouted as a grenade flew in the air before landing beside Mark. He picked it up in a matter of two seconds and threw it in the air where it suddenly blew up. Jack bent over to shield himself from any small shrapnel that might fall. With the light of the explosion lighting the warehouse a little.

-"You tried!" Mark said. A round of bullets were fired wildly and one hit Jack's leg. Mark chuckled a little. "You hit my soulmate!" Mark shouted with a laugh. Jack looked at his leg and moved his body weight before he tipped the chair over.

-"shoot him now!" Jack shouted. Brittnay and Matthew rose as they began firing at Mark. Mark began sprinting with surprising speed toward cover and was unscathed.

-"You kinda missed!" Mark taunted.

-"Cover for me" Matthew told Brittnay as he began running forward to grab Jack.

-"FUCK YOU HOOEEEEESSS!!!!" she shouted as she shot wildly at Bob who suddenly began shooting at Matthew. He grabbed Jack successfully and began dragging him, tied to the chair behind him when Mark aimed carefully and shot Matthew's leg.

-"T-they have Sam.. I don't know where Sam is.." Jack said between shuttering gasps. Stephanie suddenly stood up and ran over a couple empty boxes before tackling Wade as he loomed around a box.

-"WHERE THE HELL IS SAM?!" She shouted as she held the barrel of her gun on his throat.

-"I _will_ shoot you.." Bob warned.

-Not if I shoot you first" Arin said with a gun against his head.

-"Do not shoot them" Mark said calmly as he reloaded his gun and walked toward them. "Just tell us where she is" Mark said, sighing.

-"T-the kid?" Wade asked with wide eyes.

-"Where is she?" Stephanie asked again, narrowing her eyes at him.

-"S-she's.. at the.. at the--"

-"Wade what did you do to her?" Mark asked as, he too, narrowed his eyes at him.

-"uh.." Wade said beginning to realize his mistake.

-" _Where is she?!_ " Stephanie shouted.

-"She's.. at the fountain over by the dump.." Wade replied.

-"What the hell is she doing--... Why is she there?" Mark asked before his voice turned cold.

-"You told me to care of her..." Wade said.

-"So you left her at a dumpster site?" Arin asked.

-"Y-yeah..." Wade said.

-"Let's go." Mark said as he lifted Wade up and everybody in the building left to go into their cars.

-"We better find his daughter there, you little shits." Stephanie warned as they closed their car doors.

-"If she's dead, so are you." Mark warned Wade who remained nervous.

Then their cars began to leave the warehouse towards the dump.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY


	6. I'd Be Your Last Love... Everlasting You And Me...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone's on the hunt for Wade and Sam,
> 
> Mark gets lost in a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm planning the rest of this fic as usual, so I'd like if you guys can comment if you want this fic to be kinda long (13+ chapters) or if I should make it short (like 8-12 chapters).
> 
> Your feedback is appreciated and Enjoy!

-"Where did he go?!" Matthew asked as they all got out of their cars. Mark shrugged.

-"I don't freaking know. He just jumped out of the car once we stopped and ran off." Mark said as he looked around hopelessly.

-"Jesus Christ. I swear to God if he _touches her ANYMORE_ \--!" Jack began to warn as he grabbed Mark's shirt.

-"We'll look for her! I said I would never hurt he and I meant it" Mark replied.

-"So you'd kill him just to live longer? Really? That's what all of this is?!" Brittnay replied, bewildered.

-"It's depressing just sleeping from one person to another... why don't you want to live with your soulmate--" Stephanie asked.

-"That's a story I'd rather tell under different circumstances" Mark said.

-"Just fooking kill me if ye want but do _not touch my little Sam_ " Jack said with a threatening finger.

-"No! Jack, jesus Christ!" Matthew shouted. Everyone was glaring at each other before Jack turned his glare at Bob.

-"I actually trusted you" Jack said. Bob's face flashed with sudden hurt.

-"How do you two know each other?" Mark asked, suddenly curious.

-"Why do you care, you're going ta kill meh anyway," Jack retorted. Mark looked at him with that look again.

-"Jack!" Stephanie scolded.

-"He is! It's what he does.." Jack said as he gave Mark one last look before turning away from him. "What's tha plan?"

-"We have to split up. Some of us go look for Wade and the rest go look for Sam. he said something about a fountain so let's stick to that." Matthew said. Everyone nodded their heads.

-"I'll look for Wade. Anybody else?" Bob suddenly said. Brittnay raised her hand.

-"We'll go too" Felix said as he squeezed Cry's hand.

-"We're sticking with these two.." Stephanie said as she glared at Mark.

-"We'll wait in the car?" Anne said as she looked at Arin who nodded his head at her. They all split up into their groups and began searching. Stephanie, Matthew, Jack, and Mark began making their way around and looked for some form of a fountain and kept walking for quite a while. Jack was getting nervous and felt something s he kept walking around. He felt... time? That was the only way to describe it, for him. he felt himself aging the longer he is around Mark.

-"What are you two doing?" Matthew asked. Mark and Jack both turned to look at him confused.

-"Nothing?" Mark replied, still confused.

-"You're both doing that thing with your hands" Stephanie pointed out as the other two looked down at each other's hands and found they were both doing the same circular motion with their thumb and middle finger. Both stopped in unsion.

-"I do it cause I'm nervous"

-"I'm nervous.."

They both shyly say in unison. Matthew grabs Mark's arm and pulls him away from his wife and Jack for a bit.

-"It's not bad to have a soulmate--"Matthew began to whisper.

-"I already told you... not after--"

-"Yeah yeah, I know. Just.. Jack isn't that type of guy.." Matthew said.

-"He divorced his wife and took their kid." mark stated.

-"Yeah, and that blonde girl was his wife. Now _she_ found her soulmate. They found a schedule to share Sam and they're both happy." Matthew explained. "you and I both know this isn't just to never grow old... it's because you're afraid of getting your heart broken again." Matthew said. Mark looked at him, Matthew's eyebrows raised at him and Mark huffed before moving past him.

-"Let's keep looking" Mark said as he kept walking. Jack and Stephanie glared at Matthew for a second before they continued walking.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the dump yard, Bob was leading the others around and looking for Wade. they saw movement and they all raised their weapons at it. They all jogged forward a little where Wade suddenly popped up and tried swiping for Brittnay's throat. She dodged carefully before she grabbed him in a headlock.

-"Wade." Bob said with a disapproving look.

-"What." he snarled. She tightened her grip and he gagged a little then she loosened it.

-"Why would you do it?" Bob asked. "You left a girl in a fucking dump"

-"Mark said to take care of it." Wade replied. "So I took care of it"

-"Jesus fucking Christ, if she's dead--" Brittnay warned before Felix turned and knocked out Wade with the head of his pistol.

-" Goddamit, Fe!" Brittnay exclaimed as she dropped Wade's unconscious body.

-"What? He kidnapped Sam!" Felix retaliated.

-"We were going to get some answers..." Bob said giving him a stern look.

-"Yeah but were we?" Cry said, shrugging. Bob sighed and picked up the man and they began making their way to the cars.

 

* * *

-"Saaam" Jack called out. They were now surrounded by the deeper and older parts of the dump. The moon was slowly descending and it would be dawn soon. They were walking for quite a while and saw nobody else.

-"Jack maybe they found her.." Stephanie tried again.

-"Well even if they did, we have no signal.." Mark announced as he put away his phone.

-"Are you serious?" Matthew asked, throwing his head back and closing his eyes to control his outburst of annoyance and frustration.

-"Yup." Jack agreed as he checked his phone as well and saw there was a white cancel sign next to the time on his notification bar on his lock screen. Jack put away his phone and saw Mark's eyebrows were lifted with worry.

-"C'mon.. where are you, Sam" Mark mumbled silently that only Jack heard. He slowly reached his hand out to poke Mark's stomach in which he flinched and giggled. "No. Stop that. I am an immortal being from the depths of hell, peasant." Mark suddenly said in a serious tone getting a laugh from the Irishman in return. Mark's heart suddenly soared at the sound.

 _No. What is this feeling?_ He thought to himself. Jack reached again and Mark may or may not have let him before he poked Mark and he flinched back giggling all over again. Jack laughed even harder and Mark was getting this feeling in his stomach. _I-I should kill him.. why the hell aren't I being overprotective. Maybe if I just shoot him now? The dump is a large place and only the Patrick's would know._ Mark thought to himself. Mark slowly reached for his gun when he stopped. Why did he stop?

-"God, yer quite ticklish aren't ya?" Jack asked as he reached for Mark again only to have his hand swatted away.

-"No.." Mark warned. Jack gave him a playful smirk before suddenly darting with rapid speed and tickling his sides. Mark giggled in fear and joy.

-"Ticklish!" Jack sang happily as he poked Mark under the ribs again. Mark grabbed Jack's arm and swung him until his back was pressed up against Mark's chest. Their laughs died down before Jack turned his face to try and see him. Mark looked down with a smile before his hand began sliding down and landing on Jack's stomach and the other on his waist.

 _Dude! No!_ Mark thought. But his body said otherwise as he slowly looked at Jack's green hair. Actually _looked_ at it. He saw how it looked like it glowed in the night. He felt Jack turn in his arms and they were suddenly faced each other. Jack was still pressed up against Mark, in which he slowly turned his face up to look at Mark's eyes. Mark saw a beautiful and almost hypnotizing sea of blue that expanded beyond the iris. It was like the soft blue you get from being on the beach and the waves of the ocean slowly clapping lightly against each other as they reached the shores.

Jack saw Mark's soft and warm brown eyes that held deep meaning and secrets that could be told with enough love and care. Jack could see a nice home and a fluffy dog, both curled up on the couch drinking red wine by the fire, a blanket draped over them both.

Mark realized they were both slowly meeting in the middle as they moved their heads closed and they were only an inch apart. They felt each others' breath against one another's lips.

-"Guys?" Matthew asked as he and Stephanie stepped down from a pile of rubble to try and get signal in which they did and texted the others if they found Sam or not.

Mark and Jack split away quickly and both were from 1 inch away from each other back to their 5 foot space. Stephanie rolled her eyes and smacked her husband's arm.

-"OW!" he exclaimed. She whispered in is ear and he made an 'O' shape with his mouth before blushing at them. Mark turned back around as he blushed as well and Jack was suddenly feeling so ashamed of himself for no reason.

-"So they haven't found Sam, let's keep looking" Stephanie clarified to them as they kept walking. After nearly a half hour of walking again and searching, Matthew groaned.

-"Okay, we're splitting up. It'll make things easi--" Matthew began to say before Jack began walking away from them. "Jack? What's wrong?"

-"T-that's her ribbon. She always had a pink ribbon in her hair. THAT'S HER RIBBON!" Jack exclaimed as he began running towards a small pink ribbon on the ground. They followed him and Jack looked up to see a small clearing between hills of trash. He gingerly held the ribbon in his hands as he ran forward and maneuvered through it before seeing a large old fountain made of stone. Mark was right behind Jack but Matthew and Stephanie were a little ways behind.

-"The fountain.." Mark said in awe.

-".. Mark.. is that what I think i'm seeing?" Jack said with a scared voice as he pointed on the other side of the fountain. Mark followed his finger and saw there was a shovel leaning against the fountain along with small splatters of blood.

-"Oh no.." Mark said. Jack ran to the other side and saw a somewhat fresh packed dirt. He kneeled on the ground and began digging at it with his fingers, ignoring the shovel right beside him. Mark walked over and grabbed the shovel, helping him dig the ground. Once Jack felt clothes under his fingers, he stopped digging. Mark helped dig some more before hitting something soft. Jack felt tears in his eyes as he moved more dirt around. Matthew and Stephanie reached where they were to see Mark swinging the shovel in rage and knocking off the top of the mountain.

* * *

 

-"What happened?" Bob asked. He walked toward them and saw them looking slumped and tired. Mark was carrying something on his shoulders, Wade was tied in a chair looking tearful.

-"Let's just go before things get out of hand.." Matthew said as he got into his own car.

-"What happened?" Brittnay asked.

-"I said let's go before things get--"

-"How could you.." Mark said, giving Wade the most angry look they've seen.

-"Wait what did he--"

-"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?!" Mark shouted as he slowly dropped the thing he was carrying. Jack stood behind Mark when he suddenly ran forward and took Mark's gun, aiming it to Wade's head. Wade started screaming through the tape. It fell off and Wade was cring.

-"Y-you told me to take care of her! I didn't think you meant _literally_ " He shouted through sobs.

-"What the hell happened?! Where's my daughter?!" Anne shouted as she looked at each of them.

-"YOU KILLED A CHILD, WADE! A CHILD!" Mark screamed as he clutched onto Sam's dead body.

Anne let out a sob/scream, and she dove herself into Arin's arms. Jack's tear were flowing from his face in an unsteady pace, his hand was shaking with the gun. Mark was left crying loudly as he held Sam, Anne walked over and kneeled down next to him to look at her daughter.

-"Not so immortal now, are ye?" Jack said before one gunshot rang through the ambience of the dump as dawn began to break across the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry if this chapter was kinda all over the place..
> 
> Updates will not be every day as how I'm updating now, btw. It's just that I have free time on my hands...


	7. That Was What You Told Me...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's stuck in a mourning state and gets an unexpected visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S TIME FOR THE OTP MOMENT WE'VE ALL BE WAITING FOR~!~!~!~!~!~!~!
> 
> AND
> 
> Updates will continue their planned Updating Schedule between every 2-4 days since my summer vacation is about to get slightly busier! 
> 
> ENJOYYY :*

-"No... I'm fine.." Jack said again. Gwen sighed and left the blankets along with all the other gifts and necessities that Jack has declined from all his other friends.

Jack was not eating. Jack was hopefully sleeping. Jack wasn't leaving his room, except to pee. Gwen had visited frequently and Jack hasn't moved since. He always stares out the window and clutches onto one of Sam's little blankets and ribbon. He never let go of either of them, wherever he went into his house. Jack hasn't heard or seen of Mark or Bob. He got a message saying this was Bob's number but Jack didn't take the time to save it. He remembered he was almost killed that night, but instead it was his daughter who had to die. Jack couldn't handle that fact. He was so fragile. Apparently, Anne had to go back to work right after the New Years with Arin so they were both in the hotel. According to Brittnay's usual updates, Anne doesn't leave the room that often either. Jack felt even worse realizing that his ex-wife wasn't able to have Sam back in her home... back in Ireland. All that trouble for custody over her only to have her die at the hands of some idiot.

-"Jack, are you sure you don't need anything?" Gwen said, tired of his depressing stage.

-"Gwen, I said n--"

-"Yeah I get that you said no but we left you all these things. Do you even care to look at any of it?" She asked, her concerned voice ringing in his ears.

-"I opened the can of peaches..." Jack said, pointing to an empty can of the sweet fruit that Stephanie handed him the other day.

-"Jack.. you haven't done anything. If you want, I'm throwing a New Years Eve party at my place. So if you want to come.. just.. give me the heads up" Gwen said as she left the room slowly. She ran back in and hugged Jack. Then she turned around and left.

Jack sighed and leaned his head back and fell back into a deep slumber.

* * *

 

Jack woke up to hear knocking on his front door. He slowly stood up with Sam and is own blanket tangled together slowly dragging behind him.  Jack apparently had a new lock system installed thanks to Bob. Jack unlocked the original one, then the second one, slipped open the third one and pulled on the fourth one before turning the doorknob and swinging open the door.

Mark saw Jack's hair first. It was looking dull and faded, he needed it re-dyed. Then Mark noticed the clothes he was wearing was looking old and worn too much. Then it was the blankets draped on his back. One bright green and small, the other blue and large. The pink ribbon tangled in Jack's left hand caught his attention as well. Jack had dark bags under his eyes, his face looked dirty and oily, his eyes contained slight tints of red from crying, presumably.

-"Jesus, Jack. are you--"

-"What the fok are ye doin' here, Mark?" Jack asked with a bored and tired voice.

-"Oh.. uh I just wanted to drop by and say hi--"

-"Hi. now goodbye.." Jack interrupted as he began closing the door. Mark stuck his foot between the door and the frame enabling the door to not close. "get yer foot outta tha way, Mark."

-"No. I came to--"

-"I don't give a fok why you're here! Just leave my h--"

-"Jack I didn't do this! I didn't.." Mark began to say before he stayed quiet.

-"Didn't what? Kill my daughter? Kill _Sam_?" Jack said, feeling anger rising.

-"You and I both know that Wade--"

-"YOU KIDNAPPED US! YOU HAD WADE TAKE HER. SO IT WAS YOUR FAULT. _YOU'RE. FUCKING. FAULT._ " Jack shouted at him as he pressed a finger into his chest each time. Mark looked at him with hurt on his face. Jack was out of his door and staring at Mark, seething with anger before he looked down and saw Mark had a wine bottle bag in one hand and a card and a grocery store in the other hand.

-"I'm sorry.." Mark whispered as he dropped the stuff he had. Jack walked back into his house then shut the door. Mark was looking at the door for a while before he walked away feeling ashamed of himself. Mark was watching the elevator doors open when he heard a door in the hallway open.

-"Did you buy all this for me?" an Irish voice said. Mark turned around and saw Jack was kneeling next to the bags. Mark nodded his head with a sad face and Jack gave him a smile. "come in.." Jack said. Mark perked up and began walking to his apartment where he was waiting with the door opened. Jack locked the door behind him, all four locks, before turning around and seeing Mark standing shyly and sadly on the open area beside the sofas where Jack had last held his daughter.

-"This is a nice apartment.. " Mark said as he turned to look at Jack where he was kneeling on the ground. Mark fell down next to him and lifted his head."A-are you okay?" Mark asked.

-"I-I didn't mean it. I was just angry.." Jack replied as he looked at Mark with watery eyes.

-"Mean what?"

-"T-that you were the reason s-she's dead.." Jack said.

-"No... you were right.." Mark said, shaking his head.

-"No. I was just angry. I blame Wade..." Jack replied as he also shook his head. Mark gave him a little smile. Little... but still a smile.

-"I'm really am sorry though..." Mark said as he tried to be comforting by placing his hand on Jack's arm.

-"Can we jus' not talk about it?" Jack asked as he cringed his body to remove Mark's hand.

-"Jack..." Mark began to say seeing his movements.

-"No. Mark. Ye even said so yourself. Ye don't want ta be with your soulmate.."

-"Jack that was before Sam died. I-I was having feelings just running through my body. There's like an electricity in the air every time I'm with you..." Mark said as he held Jack's hands in his. "Jack... I think I might be falling in love with you.."

-"Mark I don't need ye ta be this comforti--"

-"I want to be with you Jack... I _need_ to be with you..." Mark whispered as he leaned down and captured Jack's lips in his.

The action sent sparks all around their body and making them feel heavenly. They felt hope, love, courage, bravery, lust and all these wonderful feelings spread through their bodies during that one kiss. Their First Kiss.

-"M-mark.." Jack gasped as he suddenly felt hungry and began kissing down Jack's chin.

-"Please.. let me prove to you that I love you.." Mark said as he backed away and kissed Jack's hand. Jack gave him sad eyes before he wrapped his arms around Mark and embraced them from another kiss. Mark wrapped his hands around Jack's waist as they did, slowly tangling their tongues into each others' mouths slowly and lovingly. They stood there for quite a while before they spread apart. Their foreheads connected as they felt each others breaths.

-"Okay..." Jack said. Mark smiled at him before reaching down and grabbing the wine bottle.

-"Do you have any glasses?"

-"Yeah, left cupboard above tha sink." Jack said as he sat down on the sofa. As Mark found said glasses he rather quickly poured them their wine before walking back and scoping with his leg the bag of groceries.

-"Would you like some chocolate covered cherries or some Jelly Beans?" Mark asked as he dug around in the bag.

-"Jelly Beans..." Jack replied.

-"Alright." Mark replied as he pulled out a large box of Jelly Beans.

-"mmph! these are so good.." Jack moaned as he bit into a few.

-"These are my childhood memories.." Mark commented as he ate a couple himself.

They went through two large boxes of Jelly Beans before Jack stood up and went to grab a handful of items that they brought him. They cracked open another can of peaches and they discussed the flavors about them and Jack talked about Sam for a while.

-"So what made you change your mind?" Jack asked Mark as he set down his can of pineapple slices. Mark set down his as well as he looked at Jack before sighing.

-"I realized that I was mostly my fault for causing this and I just wanted to apologize. I've realized that this whole Immortality thing wasn't really worth it if it caused the death of such an innocent child. You child." Mark said as he gave Jack a pitiful look.

-"Thank You" Jack said. Mark nodded his head.

-"Of course.." He replied. They sat there for a coupe seconds in silence before both couldn't resist the sudden silence and crashed their mouths together. Mark slid aside the bag of candies and other supplies off the sofa as he leaned over Jack. His hands were trailing only slightly above Jack's shirt and were roaming until he found his chin and left them there. They parted their mouths and both looked at each other with such caring eyes.

-"I'm going to shower..." Jack stated as Mark sat rightfully back on his side of the couch.

-"Okay." Mark replied as Jack began standing up and walking over to his room. He found some sweatpants and a large shirt to wear along with some underwear and a towel before he began making his way down the hall to the restroom. Jack noticed that from where Mark was sitting. He could kind of see Jack entering the bathroom if looked but he wasn't. He was drinking his wine quietly. Jack went into the bathroom and set down his things before turning on the water in the tub and letting it run for a bit. Jack stepped back out in the hallway and began to undress there.

Mark turned his head toward the hallway at the sound of Jack turning on the water when he saw him, slowly taking off his shirt. His movements were calm and steady. His back had some muscles that definitely suited him. His skin was pale but nice to look at. Then he began taking off his lazy shorts with small movements as they rode off his hips and fell into a small puddle under his legs. Then Jack hooked his fingers into the waistband of his underwear and swooped them off in one motion. Jack stood there completely naked and Mark didn't realize a part of him was definitely excited. Jack turned his face a little as he picked up his clothes and winked at Mark in the process.

He stood up from the couch and began making his way down the hall to see Jack had left the bathroom door slightly ajar. Mark took off his clothes as he walked down the hallway before standing in his underwear right outside. He slowly pushed open the door to see the curtain pulled closed but Jack was under the spray of water. Mark slowly closed the door with a soft click behind him as he locked it before removing his underwear and sliding side the curtain before closing it behind him. They both stood under the water and Mark pressed his toned and tan chest against Jack's pale and slim back. Jack felt Mark's penis touching against the back of Jack's thighs accidentally and he turned around to face Mark. He picked up his head to see Mark's beautiful warm eyes and brought them closer to kiss his lips. Mark left his hands against Jack's hips as Jack had his holding Mark's head in place. Then Jack looked down to feel his own little member touching Mark's. Mark looked down as well and was quite surprised. He has slept with many men and women who have always commented on how big Mark was but was slightly surprised to see Jack was the same size. maybe even slightly bigger.

-"Someone's excited.." Mark said. Jack blushed embarrassingly before burrowing his face into Mark's neck. "hey, don't be embarrassed" Mark encouraged as he lifted Jack's head by the chin. Mark kissed him. "You're beautiful" Mark said. And he meant it.

-"so are you.." Jack whispered.

Both pressed their lips together and remain in a mesmerizing kiss before he and Mark washed Jack down. When they finished, they got out of the shower together and dried themselves before Jack offered Mark some clothes and they laid on Jack's bed together.

-"I'm glad you came..." Jack said, laying on Mark's chest.

-"I'm glad I came to.." Mark replied before they fell into a deep slumber. Jack woke up alone on his bed and saw a note on the lamp beside his bed.

**_Emergency @ Work. Here's my number_ **

along with a phone number written below it. Jack smiled as he saved the phone number on his phone before he stood up and decided to clean up his house a little.

* * *

 

-"It's done." Mark said as he closed the door to Jack's apartment. He began walking down the hall with the phone pressed against his ear.

-" _Mark!_ " Bob scolded over the phone.

-"I'm sorry.. but I-it's for the best" Mark replied as the elevator doors closed.

-" _Poisoning the love of your life is not the best, Mark. it's the worst. I can't believe you did that. Even after Wade--_ "

-"I don't give a damn about what happened to Wade. He killed his own daughter.." Mark replied.

-" _Oh, you mean like you killed yours?_ " Bob suddenly said. Mark froze. " _Yeah, didn't think I'd remember, huh?_ "

* * *

-"She was carrying a child." The man said as he loosely clutched the bottle of rum.

-"Oh blimey! do ya know you coulda dun' it?" Mark's father asked. Mark was sitting on a barrel on one of the boats as he overheard the dreadful conversation. Meredith's father was explaining to them about her sudden and tragic death. Mark never knew she was carrying their child.

-"No. Probably that bastard that claimed to be her soulmate. Ey, Mark? I'm surry ye had to split up like that.. I cant believe shey just left ya for some man who prolly killed 'a." Meredith's father said, to Mark. Mark sat there and nodded his head before clumsily making his way to the other side of the boat toward his and his father's beds.

-"Mark, what's got ye sick minded?" His father asked. Mark shook his head.

-"Just the see, father." Mark replied. The man huffed and nodded his head before turning back around towards the other gentlemen that tried getting drunk off their arses.

_You killed a child_

_You killed a child,_

_You killed Meredith._

_You killed a child._

_YOU KILLED YOUR UNBORDN CHILD, MARK FISCHBA--_

* * *

Mark remembered the memory as if it was just last week even thought it was over a century ago.

-" _Mark..? Are you alright?_ " Bob asked over the phone. Mark was breathing deeply and harshly before he snapped back out of the memory.

-"Huh? u-uh.. yeah.." he replied.

-" _Mark.. was there an antidote?_ " Bob asked. Mark suddenly thought to it and remembered he had one in his pocket just in case.

-"Yeah.. I do..." Mark replied as he pulled a small little vial of white liquid and giving it a once-over.

-" _Mark this is your chance to be happy... your time to be free! I already gave it some thought... when my next soulmate comes, I'm going to marry this one..._ " Bob said. Mark felt a tinge of.. happiness for Bob. " _It's already killed Wade and a child. Why can't you just forget about this stupid Immortality thing and be happy?_ "

 

-"Y-yeah. fine. I'll use it. I-i'll try to be happy. I'll give it a shot" Mark said. Bob smiled over the phone.

-" _Attaboy, now go get your Prince in Irish armor_ " Bob cheered. Mark smiled and hit the 3rd floor button as he hung up. He began feeling excited.

He was about to be with his soulmate.

Mark was going down the hallway with the vial in hand. But he stopped.

 _How the hell will I explain to Jack that I tried to kill him but now he's back to save him?_ Mark thought to himself as his hand hovered over the doorknob. _Fuck it._ he thought as he turned it and walked in.

-"Hey Jack! I was--" Mark began to yell into the house before he saw a wine glass was knocked over on the white carpet. "Jack?" Mark asked as he stepped closer toward the sofa and saw that on the other side were two bare feet sticking out. "Jack!"

Mark ran around the sofa and fell to his knees as he saw that Jack was laying on the ground face down with a rag in one hand and some window cleaner in the other. Mark turned him around and felt for a pulse, only to feel a slight beating. Mark felt around his pockets for a work phone but remembered he left it at home. Mark cursed and quickly looked around and saw Jack's phone on the table. Mark reached for it and opened it easily dialing 911.

-" _Hello, this is 911, what's your emergency this evening?_ "

-"My soulmate's on the ground and I'm afraid he's about to die. Pleas send help!" Mark said in a frightened tone.

-" _Wait.. is this Mark?_ " Jordan asked. of course if was Jordan who picked up the phone. He operated as a 911 operator and an emergency nurse at the hospital they worked at.

-"YES. NOW PLEASE SEND AN AMBULANCE!" Mark screamed as he hung up and looked at the love of his life turning paler by the second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P L O T T W I S T ! ! !
> 
> Btw, have you noticed the titles of the chapters are the lyrics to the actual song? If so, good job! The song/title of the fic is by Adele :D
> 
> Please Read The Beginning Chapter Notes If You Haven't For Update Info.


	8. I'm Giving You Up... I've Forgiven It All...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack winds up in the hospital,
> 
> Everybody's out for Mark's blood,
> 
> GUESS WHO'S HERE TO SAVE MARK AND BOB?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAHHHHHHHH  
> THANK YOU FOR 100+ KUDOS!!! OMG!!!!!
> 
> Thanks so much! OMG!!!!
> 
> Enjoy some of this Action Chapter! AND. Enjoy the singalong singalong scene!

-"is this the new song by Adele?" Bob asked.

-"Shut your mouth." Matthew snapped. Everyone glanced at Matthew frightened. "You think you two can just try and kill Jack after he lost his own daughter? HUH?! _DO YOU?!_ "

-"Matthew.." Stephanie said as he touched his bicep. 

They were all currently driving in Brittnay's car to some place that Bob had no idea ot thought of. He was enjoying his time watching Netflix at home in the middle of the day when he's suddenly got a black mask pulled over his face and shoved into a car. Oh, and Adele was blaring through the speakers.

-"NO I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF IT." Matthew  snapped. She recoiled a little back into the cold steel bench in he back of the truck. Matthew glared at Bob dangerously and Bob tried peering out the window to avoid his gaze. The truck came to a stop.

-"We're here." Brittnay said. Signe opened the doors from the back of the truck and the four passengers piled out. Matthew purposely held a tight pin on Bob's restraints causing him to voice this problem before he realized where they ironically were. The Dump.

Bob heard the sound of a gun clicking and he suddenly had a sense of fear rise through him before he herd distinct shooting hit the side of the Truck. everyone ducked down although Matthew kept a tight grip on Bob's rope cuffs.

Another bullet ringed through the afternoon air and Bob felt some pressure relieved off his wrists. He raised them and saw the rope was cut clean by the bullet. Matthew looked in surprise at the remnants of the rope he was holding before three bullets hit the ground in front of his and he scattered to safe distance behind the truck along with Signe, Steph, Brittnay, Jordan, Felix and Cry. Bob put his hands in the air and saw a person with a bright white trench coat and stylish summer hat motion for him to follow them with their gun. Bob ran from the truck and toward the person. They said nothing and led Bob to a car over the large hill of Trash she was standing on. They got in and she drifted away from the dump rapidly.

-"thanks for saving my life, I'm Bob Mu--"

-"I know who you are, Bob." the person-- woman --said. Bob put his hand back in his lap.

-"What's your name?"

-"Listen Bob, I'm not your friend. My friend's aren't stupid enough to get caught in trouble." she replied easily.

-"Okay.. can I at least know your name?" he asked again.

-"No" she replied. As she kept her eyes on the road, pursing her lips in annoyance

-"Are you a friend of Mark's or something?" Bob asked.

-"Hmph. What is this, '20 Questions'?" she scoffed. Bob sighed.

-"Can I at least get a name to thank you?" Bob insisted. She sighed as she turned down a random street.

-"Tiffany." she said,

-"Thank you, Tiffany. I appreciate you saving my life" Bob replied. She gave him a short glance with a tiny smile.

-"You're welcome, Bob" she said as she turned into a large driveway. They stopped the car and both got out, she went to the door and knocked four consecutive times before knocking three more times but slightly faster.

The door opened and there stood Mark.

-"So you _are_ a friend of Mark's" Bob stated. Both Mark and Tiffany scoffed.

-"You know my name, not my story." She said as she closed the door behind them.

* * *

 -"Are you okay?" Gwen asked for the third time.

Jack didn't reply. He's refused to talk to anybody. He's gotten endless texts from friends and family. He's even gotten a few from Mark.

Mark.

He never visited. Even though he worked at the  _freaking hospital._

-"For the last time, Jack. Are you alright or--"

-"Where's Mark" Jack asked as he turned to look at her. She threw her head into her hands and took a deep breath.

-"Jack, you know I won't tell you what we're up t--"

-"Okay, he poison'd me. I get it. But like ye even told me: He had an antidote to fix his mistake. He came back for  _me._ "

-"Jack, that does  _not_ erase what he did--" Gwen retorted.

-"No! It do'sn't! But I just want to know why he  _did_ pois'n me, and why he came back tah  _save_ me." Jack snapped as he pointed a finger at himself. 

Gwen sighed as a clap came from her smacking he hanfs on her thighs as she stood up.

-"Jack. The point is that he  _did poison you_ " she said sharply. She gave Jack a pitiful look.

-"I don't care. He's my soulmate." Jack replied as he gave her a disappointed stare. she huffed at that.

-"not for long he won't be.." she said. She turned on her heel with her purse and walked out of the room.

Jack looked down at his lap angrily before sighing and unclenching his fists that lay at his sides. He heard a light knock and looked up to see some woman with a white trenchcoat walk over to his bed.

-"Don't panic, Jack. I'm just doing what I'm here to do." She said as she injected something into one of his IV bags. Jack stared at her.

-"what tha fook are you--"

-"Shut up and I'll see you in surgery." She said as she gave him a small glance before walking out of the room. "By the way, don't eat the tapioca. It's laced with pain killers." She said before leaving. Jack stared at his IV bag confused for a second before feeling his eyes droop a little before he fell into a slumber each time he tried keeping them open..

* * *

 

-"What exactly did you do?" Mark asked as Tiffany entered the house again. She sighed as she shrugged off her coat.

-"I said that I'd handle it." She said.

-"and?"

-"It's Handled." She replied as she threw her coat on the couch. She walked to the kitchen where she grabbed a glass and filled it with water.

-"B-but what  _exactly_ did you do?" Bob asked. 

-"Oh my god. I threw in sone sedatives into his IV Fluids then I warned him about the Tapioca." She said as she drank from her water. Mark stood by the door lookinh furious.

-"you did  _what_ \--" Mark snarled.

-"Oh shut up, pretty boy. I may have just saved his life." She said as she glared at Mark.

-"We never asked you to fucking help us!" Mark snapped as he began storming toward her.

-"Let's be real, Fischbach. I could turn you into the authorities on so many murders." She suddenly said. Mark stopped a few feet from her.

-"what are yo--"

-"All those bodies I analyze? They're from professionals. And three distinct cuts on a man's body are similar to those you make on heart emergencies." She explained as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh yeah, Mark. I know  _exactly_ what  _you're_ doing. And I'm telling you, it's wrong. You can't just kill your soulmate every single time and expect to live happily ever after." 

-"How do you--"

-"I was your first one's sister. His name was Sam. I go out for a smoke to find him bleeding to death in an alley. And to who do I owe the pleasure twenty years later?" She asked. Mark stood stoic even though his entire mind screamed mercy.

-"I-i'm so sorry.." Mark whispered. "T-that's why I'm fixing it. I-i would want to be.. with Jack." Mark said. 

-"Good..." she said. Bob watched the interaction before it clicked for him.

-"You work for--"

-"Body Analysis." She finished for him. Bob nodded his head.

-"We've talked..." Mark said as he looked at her with the same look he gives Jack.

-"Sadly." She replied. "Now, what we need to do is go to work and pray to God that we don't run into Felix Ku-jell? K-kuhjello? Ku--"

-"Kjellberg" Mark said.

-"Yeah. Him. And Gwen and Signe" She continued.

-"Oh and you suppose we can just waltz in their pretending we weren't almost just kidnapped?" Bob asked, bewildered.

-"You've gone into work pretending you haven't done worse, Muyskens." She snapped. Bob narrowed his eyes before giving a huff of disapproval.

-"Fine."

-"perfect! I get to leave first... and you two go whenever. But make sure it's before the next two hours. He'll go into surgery then." Tiffany demanded as she grabbed a different coat from a coat closet.

She untied her hair after throwing her sun hat onto the couch next to her white coat and did her hair in a ponytail before winking at herself in the mirror. Mark sat down on the couch with a small sigh and his head between his hands, awhile Bob went to the kitchen in utter annoyance.

-"Alrighty! See you boys later..." she said in a singsong voice before closing the front door behind her. She took in a deep breath and a small smile before walking down to her car and getting in, driving away from her house.

As she drived, she heard a catchy song she's been trying to learn on the radio. She turned up the volume and sang along... as did Stephanie and her beloved husband from where they were driving in her car on nearly the other side of town.

[A/N: The Underlined is for Tiffany and the Italics are for _Stephanie & Matthew_. But Bold is for **Both of them** in sync. Kinda? I don't know, I just wanted to throw in a car karaoke scene in this chapter. Good Luck. AND I recommend you listen to the song as you read along! {PS. It's the title of the fic}]

-" _This was all  you.._."

-"None of it me.."

-" _You put your hands on.. on my body and touched me_..."

-"Yo-u told me you were ready!"

-" _For the big one._.."

-"For the big jump.."

-" _I'd be your last love... everlasting you and me._.."

-"Hmm... That was what you told me."

-" **I-'m giving you up**!"

-"I-'ve forgiven it all!"

-" _You set me free-ee-ee-ee_!"

-" **Send my love to your new lo-over**!"

-" _Treat her be-etter_."

-" **You've got to let go-o of all of our ghosts! We both know we ain't kids no mo'**!"

-"Send my love to your new lo-over! Treat her\--"

-"-- **Be-etter! We've got to let go-o of all of our ghosts. We both know we ain't kids no more oh** -!"

They all sang along. As they drove. Tiffany sang along as best as she could with the music as she put her focus on the road as well, honking to any idiots who cut her off. Stephanie and Matthew sang as beautifully as they could to match the British singer's talent as they went through small patches of traffic to try and ease their stress at the situation at hand. They all noticed it had begun to rain a little as they drove, turning on their windshield wipers to stay safe from the small sprinkles of water.

-" _I-'m giving you up_.."

-"I-'ve forgiven it all..."

-" **You set me free**."

-" _Send my love to your new lo-over_!"

-"Treat her be-etter!"

-" **We've go to let go-o of all of our ghosts**!"

-" _We both know we ain't kids no mo---ore_!"

-"Send my love to your new lo-over!"

-" _Treat her be-etter! We've got to let go_ \--"

-"-- **o of all of our ghosts. We both know we ain't kids no mo-ore**!"

-" _If you're ready. If you're ready. If you're ready. I'm ready_!"

-"We've got to let go-o of all of our ghosts!"

-" **We both know we ain't kids no mo-ore**!

-"IF YOU'RE READY. IF YOU'RE READY. IF YOU'RE READY. I'M READY!"

-" _WE'VE GOT TO LET GO-O OF ALL OF OUR GHOSTS."_

-" **WE BOTH KNOW WE AIN'T KIDS NO MO-ore.."**

* * *

 -"Uh, excuse me ma'am?" Matthew asked the nearest nurse.

-"Yes?" Tiffany replied as she walked over to the Matthew and Stephanie, pretending like it's the first time she has ever seen them.

-"Can you help us find our friend? His name is Jack- oh uh.. -Sean?" Matthew asked. She shook her head with a tight lipped expression.

-"sorry, no. I work at body analysis. Was it.. Sean? I am doing a surgery though in about an hour or so. I could direct you to his room? Maybe it's this Sean?" She asked.

-"Oh, sure." Stephanie said as she wrapped her arm around Matthew's. They all walked to an elevator in which they climbed into, Signe in the back low key looking at Matthew as he turned back and winked at her telling it was okay. They all shuffled out of the elevator before they made their way down a few more hallways before reaching his room.

-"Okay, Jack. How are you doing today?" Tiffany asked with a bright smile. Jack was asleep. Or so they figured.

-"Oh.. shoot." Matthew cursed as he stepped out of the room. Tiffany tip-toed out carefully and shutting the door.

-"Darn it. He may be asleep. You guys can hopefully check in right before the surgery?" Tiffany said as she gave them some hope.

-"Yeah, if we can." Stephanie said.

-"Perfect! see you then." She said brightly as she walked away from them. As she made her way down the hall, she saw Mark rounding the corner and she sprinted at him to scare him backward.

-"Woah woah, what's wrong?" He asked as she pinned him against the wall.

-"The Pattrick's are over there. What are _you_ doing?" She said pointedly.

-"I have a patient to check up on so we can clear the room and use it for another patient--"

-"Well wait a few seconds--" she said before they heard sudden footsteps coming their way. She cursed as dragged Mark as they sprinted hallway down hallway until they reached the elevator.

-"Mark?" Signe asked at the end of the hall. Thankfully, she could not see Tiffany. He pressed the shut door button frantically as she made a full sprint toward the elevator. "Mark don't you dare make me take the sta--" She began to exclaim before they shut. They let out a sigh and relaxed. When the elevator rang and the doors opened, they were confronted with Felix standing there before his eyes went wide.

-"Mark?" He asked before Tiffany slammed his head into the side of the elevator walls. They let his body collapse.

-"What was that for?" Mark asked.

-"He took my bagel at a store once. What can I say? I hold grudges." She said as she shrugged once the doors closed again. The elevator rode down to the first floor and they stopped. then, carrying Felix onto a gurney right beside the elevators.

-"He'll wake up soon... right?" He asked her.

-"Hopefully." She said with a wink and a shrug. They went their own separate ways after that awhile Bob made his way to the elevators and a shit ton of patients to check up on. He stood in the elevator looking straight ahead when he noticed Felix slowly rose from the gurney he was laying on. The doors closed in time for Bob to be concealed from his sights. Bob let out a sigh before he felt a chuckle behind him.

-"Hey Bob.." Cry whispered. Bob felt his heart stop at the voice. Cry slowly walked up to Bob and laid a knife against his spine. "Not so.. cocky now, are you?" He said. Bob felt his mask press against his neck and heard Cry's dark chuckle.

-"What do you want, Cry..." he said.

-"What everyone else wants..." he replied as he rose the knife and laid it to rest under his adam's apple. "you and Mark dead..."

-"So why don't you kill me now?" Bob asked. Cry chuckled.

-"Cameras..." he whispered. Bob felt like if there wasn't a mask in the way, he would feel his hot breath against his ear. "You know... they assume that I'm the calm one. But boy, let me tell you. I can wield a knife and shoot a gun faster than it takes Felix to ride my--"

Bob elbowed him as the elevator bell rang and Cry stumbled slightly, dropping the knife. Bob darted out of the elevator quickly and calmly made his way through the hallway where other nurses and doctors walked down as well. Bob didn't look back to see if Cry was following, but he didn't want to. He made his way into his first patient's room and let out a sigh of relief.

-"Hello, Lily Singh?" [iiSuperwomanii] Bob said as he entered the room. A rather dark skinned girl looked up from a magazine.

-"Hi." she said as she set it down. He saw a camera and a tripod in the corner of the room.

-"How are you today?" He asked calmly as he picked up the clipboard on her bed.

-"Tired. Hungry. Can I have some tapioca?" she asked.

-"Are you _allowed_ to have Tapioca?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow. She groaned.

-"I'm starving though.." She complained with a fake sigh.

-"But you have a surgery scheduled in about an hour."

-"But I'm dying and I want Tapioca in this shit house hospital." she said as she rolled her eyes.

-"This 'shit house hospital' is currently keeping you alive..." Bob retorted playfully as he checked her IV fluids.

-"For now... before the cancer hits me at full force and I die within... What? Two months? Maybe three?" She said as she sighed. Bob pursed his lips.

-"Don't be so morose about the situation..." he said, writing down a few stats on her clipboard.

-"Can I have Tapioca _after_ the surgery then?" She asked. He nodded his head.

-"After a careful twenty-four hour watch for any risks from the surgery." he said with a chuckle. She groaned in annoyance as she threw her head back into her pillows.

* * *

 

-"What do you mean you saw Mark?" She asked. Felix rolled his eyes.

-"I said... I saw Mark in the elevator before being knocked out." Felix said, rubbing his head slightly from the blow.

-"I lost Bob." Cry grumbled as he walked up to them.

-"Great. Now what're we going to do?" Stephanie asked, exasperated.

-"We go with Plan B and we switch the pudding.." Matthew said.

-"Really?"

-"It's the only way.. to draw out Mark.." Matthew said with a shrug.

-"But... what about--"

-"There is no other option. We'll just have to pretend we're an intern or something then kill Mark in the surgery room.." Matthew explained.

-"We're actually going to bring him down?" Cry asked.

-"It's the only way, Cry." Signe said with her arms crossed over her chest.

-"We've forgiven him too much. It's time we let him pay for his mistakes.." Stephanie added. They all nodded their heads.

Jack stood there, listening through the door. So that's what the lady meant.

_-"By the way, don't eat the Tapioca. It's laced with pain killers..."_

Jack looked back and saw the small pudding cup sitting by his bed, untouched. Jack felt like he could trust his friends at the _least._

 _Some things just aren't meant to fall in place, I guess._ Jack thought to himself as he shuffled toward his bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> O. Shit. Waddup.  
> It's Dat Tiffany


	9. You Set Me Free...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit goes down,
> 
> Jack prepares for the worst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAYYYY MORE CHAPTERS!!!!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> **Trigger Warnings!**  
> Brief and Mild description of Sam's death.

-"Where's Jack?" Matthew asks as he enters the now empty room.

-"They took him to surgery. Why do you ask?" Stephanie replies as Matthew drops his shoulders in slight relief.

-"Did you see Bob and Mark or something?" Felix asked. "Do we need to be worried..?"

-"No, I don't think so" Matthew replied, pursing his lips as he thought about it.

-"So what exactly's the problem?" Gwen asked as she looked up from her phone.

-"Signe said--"

-"Who here is closest kin to Sean?" A doctor asked as he entered the room.

-"I'm his best friend. Does that matter?" Gwen suddenly said as she stood up.

-"Well.. nobody here is closest kin?"

Everyone shook their head no.

-"Well, that's good." The doctor said as he shut the door behind him. "Nobody here has to suffer all _too_ much."

* * *

 

-"Where is he?" Mark asked as he began putting tools on the tray.

-"He's on his way. Do your best not to fuck shit up." Tiffany warned.

-"Yeah, yeah. I know."

A group of doctors walked in with a different strolling cart with supplies and looked at them confusedly.

-"Uh, are you on the sudden emergency?" a doctor asked.

-"What sudden emergency?" Tiffany asked.

-"Cancer patient. She had a sudden overdose. We have to do her surgery now." A female doctor replied as she carefully pushed their cart out of the way.

-"Uhm, okay. So when do we do the Irish guy's poison surgery?" Tiffany asked, offended.

-"Later." They said in unison as they began prepping for the surgery.

Tiffany and Mark strolled out their cart and left it in the washing room before stripping off their surgical suits as they left the Operation Room.

-"Do you think Jack's going to be returned to his room?" Mark asked.

-"If not, we'll get Bob to make sure he isn't left on the side of some random hallway." Tiffany replied as they walked down the hallway.

They were going toward the elevator when they saw the doors open and saw Cry and Brittnay. They turned around and began walking rather quickly away from them. Another paramedic suddenly stopped Mark to talk with him about if he needed more people on his team ever since Wade had taken a "vacation leave" and Mark quickly replied that he would. They looked back and saw Cry nudging Brittnay toward their general direction in which their chase began. Mark and Tiffany surged through the amount of doctors, patients and families through the floor. They reached a staircase door and took it to run down the stairs. As they reached the next door, they heard the door two flights of stairs above them open.

-"Go. go!" She hissed as she all but shoved him down the stairs as she went through the door. His movements stuttered in sudden frustration from her actions before he kicked into gear and sprinted down the stairs. He reached the next door and threw it open before straightening himself and walked around calmly. He was on the second floor. He began making his way through the hallways, nearing the area for a break. He walked in casually and reached for a coffee pot, filling his plastic cup halfway before throwing in some sugar and cream.

-"Long day?" A doctor asked him. He chuckled twice before taking a careful sip.

-"You have no idea..." Mark replied as he began walking out of the room.

He saw Brittnay running past the door right as he opened it and laughed at her casual miss. He guessed Cry must have gotten the hint to follow Tiffany since he was nowhere in sight. Mark made his way down more hallways slowly before reaching the elevator and drinking from his coffee cup. The elevator's little music making him hum peacefully to it. The doors opened, having Mark and two other doctors walk out and go to wherever they planned. Mark turned the corner, throwing the coffee cup a little after walking out of the elevator, and almost ran into a blonde woman.

-"Shoot, I'm sorry." she said as she patted his shoulder lightly and walking away. She stopped mid-step a couple seconds later and realized she ran into _Mark fucking Fischbach._

She turned on her heel and sped walk back to the corner, to which she turned and saw Felix sitting against the wall.

-"Shit. he went into Jack's room and locked the effing door." Felix grumbled as he clutched at his shoulder. She slammed her elbow into the door before wincing and rubbing it lightly from the pain.

-"Open up!" She demanded.

Mark was looking at Jack, all prepared for surgery and sleeping. He was going to creep closer when he heard Matthew outside.

-"Open. The door, Mark." He said calmly. Mark sighed and turned around and opened the door, receiving a punch to the nose and being tackled by him.

-"Get off. _SECURITY_!" Mark shouted. Matthew clambered off of him and straightened himself before narrowing his eyes at him.

-"Don't even think about hurting Jack." Matthew snapped.

-"The OR is ready..." Tiffany said, cutting the silence. She had her mask on to cover her face and walked toward Jack's bed where she began pulling it to move.

-"Fischbach, will you be joining the surgery to see how the procedure is done?" She asked. Mark nodded his head as he stood up and brushed himself twice before glaring at Matthew and Signe. They walked out, wheeling the sleeping Irishman before glancing back to see them staring at them.

-"Is the surgery happening _now?_ " He asked her lowly.

-"Of course not, but I found us an OR to hide in before the surgery starts in the next hour. There, we can wait." Tiffany replied before hitting the elevator button.

* * *

 

-"And here, we make our first cut." The doctor announced as he steadily sliced the scalpel into Jack's pale body. A large crowd of doctors and nurses and Interns crowded around the room. Lots of plastic blue reflected across the large Operation Room. A few stood on their tiptoes to look over, others took notes and many of the rest just watched with deep interest. And some, like themselves, looked around for their enemy.

-"Where are they?" Stephanie whispered to her husband. He looked around, squinting for better sight of those in blue around the operation table to make out a pair of similar eyes.

-"I can't tell." He replied. An Asian looking woman hushed at them before turning around and continuing to take notes. Matthew whispered a small apology before scouring the crowd again. On the other side, Brittnay watched intently from the front of the crowd and looked up from the procedure every now and then to look for Mark or Bob's eyes. Even that strange girl he was with. The procedure was fairly simple for her brain to process: Make a couple cuts, drain blood, a few incisions and cuts, more blood drained, fill some blood, search the organs that contain the poison, more cuts, add blood, stitch and patch back up... without killing him first.

-"So as you can see, this slightly green substance is tainted tissue of the poison, being Window cleaner. Give me a break." The doctor explained, his joke causing a few of them to laugh. Brittnay's eyes crinkled as she smiled at his joke falsely and turning to a random man to her side, shaking her head in adoration for the doctor. He smiled back and they turned their attention back. She noticed Matthew's head occasionally rising to peak out for them before falling back down into the thin sea of heads.

The only light in the room mostly coming from the middle of it, produced by the lamp hanging directly over Jack's sedated body. His eyes stayed close, they were inspecting below his lungs and heart, so no pumping heart could be seen. Thankful to Mark's eyes. He's dealt with blood, as a paramedic he has seen the craziest and goriest shit there could be sometimes, but he just hates seeing organs and blood together. It makes him want to open the back doors of the truck and just spew chunks on the road. Disgusting, really. He could often see Matthew and Stephanie's heads rise above the regular heads every so often at the corner of his eye. They didn't realize that they shouldn't just be looking in front of them, but also right beside them. He was two people to their left. Bob was too big for them to hide in the sea of nurses, doctors and interns, in which they had him assist in the surgery to help hide his cover. Mark wonders how long it'll take them to figure _that_ out. He looked around and spotted Tiffany with a small group of Interns who watched eagerly. Her eyes scouring the crowd ever so often too in a quick second before continuing to fake, or maybe honestly, marvel at the doctor's words and procedure.

-"Drainage please." The doctor suddenly asked. Bob moved the small pipe to drain some more blood which flowed into a blood bag hanging beside Jack's head.

Jack. He looked so peaceful. So at ease. His eyebrows not knitted together in confusion or anger, his mouth not curved into the cocky or plain smile it usually was. His eyes not crinkling like when he looked at... at Sam. His face was emotionless. Mark felt himself sadden at the thought of Sam.

_Her body.. laying there in a hole that Wade had dug to 'take care of her'._

_-"She was just my little girl!" Jack had sobbed repeatedly. He heard small footsteps behind I'm, but he chose not to face the ones bearing those footsteps. His hands laced behind his head as he puffed his chest, trying to control his anger after hurling the shovel, at the now broken, top of the fountain. Her body was limp, her face was emotionless. Dried blood and dirt stuck onto the side of her head where some hair was sticking closely. One of her arms held a small little flower she must have clutched onto. Her face so emotionless. Because she was dead. She was just a child._

_Just a child._

_Dead._

_Just A Child._

_Dead._

_Dead._

_Dead Chi--_

-"And now, we can patch up and close." The doctor said, snapping Mark out of his thoughts with a clap. Everyone cheered lightly and clapped for him as he took a playful bow. "and please thank my helpers, Matt and Bob!" He said. Then some more clapping. Bob and the man, Matt, waved a little before pulling off their masks carefully. As everyone began shuffling out the side door, he walked over towards Tiffany, a person standing between the two as they walked out together. Once they left, they turned quickly and saw that Matthew and Stephanie were glaring at them with knowing eyes.

-"Let's go." He mumbled as he grabbed her elbow and quickly dove them through the sea of people, reaching for a random corner to turn into.

They heard more footsteps behind them and saw Cry, Matthew and Steph. They made their walks faster before realizing nobody was at the end of the hallway. hey heard the fast footsteps behind them and broke into a sprint. Cry reached for Tiffany's plastic wrap when she let it loose, blinding them for a second before they continued their chase. Turning the other corner, they saw a few more people walking around and they kept running past them. They got a few confused looks and surprised stares as they ran, dodge and slid past them. They turned and saw Matthew glaring at them deadly for they were being courteous and not raising suspicion by walking. Mark let out a breath before he was pulled into a rest room. He saw Bob was already there, probably unconscious. Tiffany was sitting against the bed with her mouth taped and hands behind her back.

-"Nighty night, beeyatch." Brittnay said sweetly before slamming Mark's head back into the door. His vision swam for a second, looking up as he fell to see Jordan and her looking at him with distaste.

-"Such a waste. He was a good paramedic too." Jordan said. Then Mark's vision slipped into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HE DEAD. LMAO.
> 
> I should not be laughing this hard.
> 
> Help my soul. omg.
> 
> Sorry if this chapter was kinda... ehh.. I had a huge Writer's Block for this. 
> 
> PS. He isn't ded. yet. ;D


	10. Send My Love To Your New Lover...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark is basically.. well... screwed,
> 
> Jack runs out of fucks to give.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, let's turn the tables, shall we?!
> 
> ENJOY, MAHOY.
> 
> soryy for the late update!!!!

-"Wakey wakey, hoe." Brittnay said, snapping her fingers. Mark blinked rapidly before becoming aware of his surroundings.

Still in the resting room.

-"Oh thank god. Finally, we can get some answers." Stephanie mumbled.

Mark turned his head, his eyesight was dragging the colors and sights he was seeing like that a camera would do when it can't focus on rapid movements. He focused his eyes and took in light of the slightly dark room. He saw that Bob was laying against the heater/air conditioner and had cuts along his chest and legs. He had bruises forming and his face was red from possible anguish. Mark looked down at himself and found he was sitting there, slightly helpless.

-"Are you ready to give us some answers?" Brittnay asked as she twirled a slightly bloody knife. He looked at her with a questioning look.

-"The hell do you want?" He asked. She rolled her eyes and crouched down to meet his face.

-"Why did you poison our friend?" She asked, her face expressing obvious anger and stoic aggressiveness. He looked up to see her eyes and shook his head.

-"I didn't.. Okay well I did but... I just.. I didn't want to-- I mean.. ugh.. I did, but I just.. I don't know. I had--"

-"Had what, Mark? Hmm?" Jordan asked. "You really fooled me when you said you were concerned..."

-"I was. How could I not? It was bound to happen." Mark mumbled.

-"What was 'bound to happen'?" Stephanie snapped. Mark looked up at her through hooded eyelids and saw her overpowering body language showing authority.

-"Falling in love with my soulmate..." Mark said as he looked at her. "I knew it would happen but I didn't expect it to be.. this soon..." Mark said, voice wavering at the end. His mind went back to finding Jack laying on his floor, wine glass knocked over and his face going paler by the minute.

-"Well sucks for you, you might have just killed him." Stephanie said, she narrowed her eyes before launching forward and backhanding the German-Korean. He winced at the pain before redirecting his attention to her.

-"So why'd you poison him?" Brittnay asked again, looking bored.

-"Because I felt like it'd be best to just... get it over with and not fall in love. I thought I could do it... and then.." Mark explained as he looked at Bob who was staring at him with sympathetic eyes. "...I realized I could be happy again. Immortality wasn't really that cool anymore..." Mark finished saying looking at Bob begin to smile a little. Mark felt a random tear slip down his face.

-"Sure, you did." Jordan muttered.

-"I did. I even made an antidote in case I bitched out. But.. when I got there, it was too late-- _almost_ too late..." Mark said, adding the last part in, considering the situation they were in. The others looked at each other before looking at Mark angrily.

-"That doesn't excuse that you tried to poison him." Stephanie gritted through her teeth.

-"But--"

-"No, enough of this _shit! How could we trust you that you won't do it again, Mark?! HUH?!_ " Brittnay snapped. She looked at Mark angrily before shaking her head. "You little cunt, I swear you'll pay for what _you_ did to his _fucking daughter. you FUCKING CUNT!"_ She screamed as she swished the blade across his cheek before Jordan pulled her back and threw her down on one of the beds.

Mark touched his cheek and felt the blood slowly pouring down, there might have been two or three sources of said blood.

-"You weren't supposed to get him in visible spots!" Stephanie hissed as she kneeled down to inspect Mark's face. Bob slowly stood up and threw Jordan into the corner of the small room and punched Brittnay in the gut. Mark took this as his opportunity to head-butt Stephanie, in which she fell backwards and held her head painfully. Bob helped Mark up and began exiting the room when he turned around.

-"I didn't mean to hurt him.." Mark said before closing the door.

He and Bob took opposite hallways. Mark made his way in the general area to an elevator. He didn't know how long he was passed out, but he didn't care. He grabbed a gauze and Band-Aid kit from a tray table on the side of the hallway and attended his wound as he walked. He thought about how he had to fix thins with Jack now rather than never.

Tossing the used gauze and Bandage wrapper in a trashcan, Mark walked into and elevator full of people. The music was somewhat calming, he enjoyed the soft hum of it. The doors opened and Mark made his way down to Jack's hallway. Turning corners, passing people, he finally made his way into Jack's room to find him awake and speaking happily with... Anne.

-"--haha. Oh! Hello, Mark. Are you a doctor here?" She said as she saw him enter the room. Mark smiled at her and nodded his head, turning to look at Jack who's face went from happy to slightly confused. "oh.. I see. Okay, i'll give you two some time. I'll be right back. Nice seeing you, Mark." She said as she made her way around him and out of the room. Mark turned to close the door and turned to see Jack looking away from him.

-"hey... how are yo--"

-"The sun looks tainted." Jack said as he looked out of his window. Mark looked at what he may have been speaking about and did notice the sun was a blurr of orange and yellow as it began to set.

-"Y-yeah.. it's really beauty--"

-"Just like... the wine I had spilt as I tried to catch meself with the table. Then I fell to mah knees and felt myself give out. My brain kin'a just shut down. I felt...lightness. I felt my mind burnin' in pain, me heart was beating out of me chest and... and I realize, as that glass o' wine came down that mah carpet...it w's slightly a dark shade o' purple rather than a normal shade o' purple." Jack continued before looking at Mark with watery eyes. Mark froze and looked at his feet, ashamed.

-"I'm s--"

-"Sorry won't cut i', Mark. Why did you do i'?" Jack snapped, his voice calm and forceful but his mind screaming in fear.

-"I don't know, Jack. I just--" Mark began to say as he walked over to his bed.

-"Don't get _near me_ " Jack hissed. Mark felt his heart begin to crack... like over a century ago...

-"Jack.. I went back to save you. I'm the one that went back to--"

-"No. _You_ went back to clean up tha mess that _you_ made." Jack snapped. Mark looked at him with hurt on his face. Jack wanted to hug Mark and plead him to take him back, he wanted to wipe the hurt but... he also wanted to see Mark crumble in utter horror. In complete devastation. He wants to see Mark fall to his knees and beg, and to hear his heart break after trying to kill him.

-"Jack.. I've realized t-that I love you. I can't kill you. You're the only thing that I've been so... so drawn to. From the bright green hair, to the silly goofy smiles you bring to people's faces and... and you just make things better and you're such a positive energy that can't be brought down..." Mark confessed as he kneeled beside Jack's bed. Jack believed him. He did...

-"You tried to kill me, Mark..." Jack seethed. Mark dropped his head and picked it back up.

-"I went back to save you because it was a clear mistake, Jack..." Mark pleaded.

-"Why should I fookin believe anything that comes out of yer shite mouth? You come into my life and.. and you tie me up, cut me up and you killed my _fucking daughter_.--"

-"Jack, you and I both know it was--"

-" _You're fault!_ It was aaallll you, Mark. Ye sent yer stupid goon to 'take care' of my daughter and now she is _dead because of ye!_ " Jack snapped. His mind was screaming at him to stop.. but he couldn't. He just...couldn't.

-"I have so much blood on my hands... I understa--"

-"No ye don't, Mark. Ye don't know what it's like losing a child." Jack said. "You don't realize that there is guilt that comes when ye lose yer only child. The one ye cared for, the one you imagined a future for, a small child that you had created. You'll never understand what it's like tah--"

-" _BUT I DO!_ " Mark shouted. He immediately regretted it.

Jack looked at Mark curiously before sitting there, showing he was ready to listen. Mark sighed and took a deep breath.

-"Over.. a century ago..." Mark began, "I was in love. Shocking, I know. But I was in love with this beautiful girl--"

-"What was her name?" Jack interrupted. But Mark continued.

-"-- and her name was M-Meridith.." Mark said. "She was.. sweet, and nice. Funny, too. She made everyone smile and she was the most ladylike girl I had ever known. She was beautiful and we promised each other we'd live forever together since we wouldn't need soulmates now that we're in love... but it wasn't what it was meant to be. She and I drifted apart because... because she found her soulmate. And I was so.. so _angry_ at her.. for breaking our promise that... that I--"

-"Killed..her?" Jack asked with a frightened and pitied voice. Mark nodded his head as he felt tears slipping down his face.

-"And I found out later that she was... she was--"

-"carrying... y-yer child." Jack finished.

Now he felt horrible. But he also felt proud of himself. Now Mark felt the pain he did.

-"Get out of me room, Mark." Jack said. Mark perked his head up to see Jack, his face turned away from him.

-"W-what?" Mark asked as he wiped is face with the sleeve of his coat.

-"get. out. of. me room, Mark." Jack repeated. Mark looked at Jack with a crumbling expression. Mark felt his heart break like it did all those years ago.

-"J-Jack.... I told you the most.. the most--"

-"I don't care. I'm just glad.. you get to feel my pain." Jack said, his heart breaking as well. His mind was screaming to the point where Jack was getting a slight headache and the sudden darkness in him was rising.

Jack heard Mark stand up slowly and shift to the door, he opened it and saw Anne walking in.

-"Oh! Hiya!" she greeted, not noticing the puffiness in his eyes.

-"Nice seeing you, Anne. Goodbye.. Jack.." Mark said as he began leaving.

-"Oi! And Mark?" Jack called out. Mark turned around, some hope in his eyes.

Jack's darkness began fading away, his positivity overtaking him again, but not before he said:

-"Tell Meredith I said hello."

Mark felt his entire self crumble, his posture remained intact but... he felt ruined. When Mark nodded his head and turned around to leave, Jack burst into tears. Anne confusedly set down the pudding cups she brought and hugged Jack from her chair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE COMMENT:
> 
> -How much longer should this fic be, estimate chapters or storyline points that need to be addressed.  
> -How you think it's going so far??? Is it what you guys/gals expected from the Prompt??
> 
> AAANNNDD HIT THAT KUDOS BUTTON IF YE HAVEN'T ALREADY :D


	11. Treat Her Better...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's friends begin getting worried when an unexpected ally of theirs begins thwarting their attempts to communicate with jack, mark and bob.
> 
> Meanwhile, Jack is thrown a celebration for being released.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos and comments! Much love is returned!
> 
> I am about 3/4 done with this fic. Next chapter will be a time skip. So. Yeah.
> 
> ENJOY!

Jack was fully cleared out of the hospital. And the first thing he did was go out and visit the Dump. He made his way, confusedly navigating through the mountains of trash before finally reaching a known area that led him to the ancient stone and marble fountain. He sat down on the edge of it as he looked at the large bed of flowers someone had strewn together. Presumably... Mark.

-"Hey, sweetheart." Jack said as he looked at his daughter's colorful grave. "daddy's finally out o' the hospital. You mom usually hated hospitals... but she visited me. We all miss you.." Jack said as his voice began cracking. "You're Daddy's a real fuck-up, y'know? He.. he sent away your friend. Remember him? The one with the red hair? yeah... Daddy sent him... sent him away and probably hurt him. I know you'd be mad and probably send me off to apologize but... I said some real mean things tah him. I.. I can't even forgive myself, I wouldn' know how he'd forgive me..." Jack said.

He wiped his eyes with the hem of the sleeves from his jacket. He felt at peace in that moment, silent tears streaking down his face, the morning air was cool and fresh, the birds occasional chirping made it almost sound so... so normal.  He felt the slightly rough material of his jacket as it brushed onto his face, the way it began to slightly dampen fro the tears it wiped away. Jack was feeling pretty normal at the moment. Even though there was nothing normal at all at being in the middle of a fucking dump, sitting on some fountain older than the city itself and talking to your dead daughter. Jack couldn't help but feel bad for himself.

-"S-so that's what's up with me. *sniff* I guess.. I guess I might have tah try and a-apologize, y'know? I-I don't even know if he-he'd take me back..." Jack said. he looked around and found a new pretty dandelion growing beside the fountain, plucking it from the ground and laying it on her grave to collect with the other bright and colorful flowers. He began to stand up, brushing off his pants, when he felt his phone buzz to existence in his pocket. Jack, confusedly, pulled it out and looked at who the caller might be. It was Mark.  Jack quickly answered it and waited for him to speak.

-" _J-Jack?_ " Mark's voice asked through the phone, his voice soft and broken like he had been... crying for hours.

-"Mark? Mark, listen I--"

-" _Jack... are you.. w-where are you?"_ Mark asked as he interrupted his sentence.

-"Uh.. I'm uh, visiting Sam. Why?" Jack replied. Mark gave a small huff and maybe a whine.

-" _O-okay... take your time then._ " Mark said, voice slightly breaking off.

-"Wait, Mark--" Jack began to exclaim when the other man had ended the call through his end. Jack cursed silently.

Jack made his way out of the dump, taking a couple wrong turns and almost getting lost in the process, and began walking in the general direction of his house. He passed by vendors at a food market that offered all sorts of goods and products that were much healthier than regular ones. He made his way through it all, casually looking or ignoring things before he kept on walking. He passed houses with pies on windowsills, children running to catch the school bus. It all seemed so... normal.

He wished his life was normal though... he wished.

* * *

 

Mark set down the phone on the sofa that he has been sleeping on for days. He didn't even bother going to his bed. He jut walked into his house and fell on the sofa where he cried endlessly for his stupid mistakes. His cruel decisions. With each kill he had made, came every heart wrenching cry. It's been... god knows how many days, Mark lost track. He was just a hollow person that cried for hours at the moment. All he did was try to sleep without having a nightmare from when he had killed all those versions of Jack from before. With each new dream came a new feature that resembled Jack from today. Green hair, ears pierced, soft stubble. They all kept coming and kept Mark awake after each kill. He used to love the sounds each new reincarnation would make as their life faded away. Now all he could think about were the insults that Jack had said. The words... that cut Mark so deeply.

But only one phrase stood out from the rest in particular: ' _Tell Meredith I said Hello'._ Mark had felt his heart break. He felt Jack grabbing his heart in his hands, the same heart that he refused to let out and enjoy his soulmates, to be ripped to shreds and thrown carelessly behind him like it was some toy he didn't like. With each shred of his heart, Mark felt another hour of crying coming along at some point. Mark grabbed a tissue from a box, of many, and blew his nose into it as he broke into a sob.

He was planning on visiting Sam, hoping it would help him a little. But Jack was there. He knew that the Irishman was bound to apologize, but Mark couldn't hear it now. Not in this weak state of well-being. Mark wouldn't handle it well.

-"Mark!" Anne shouted as she threw open his front door, startling him.

-"A-Anne..?" Mark asked as he squinted at her, his glasses on the coffee table that he later picks up to examine the intruder better.

-"Yes, dumbass. Now get your ass up." She commanded as she walked over to the sofa, her heels pounding on the wooden floor of his apartment.

-"B-but why?" He asked, confused how she found and is in his home.

-"Because we're going to meet Oprah!" she said with a sarcastic smile.

-"Wait what?" he asked again, not believing that this was actually happening.

-"GET UP." She said as she grabbed hair and tugged it. He let out a sharp plea at her gesture and slowly began sitting up on the couch.

-"Where am I going.. exactly?" He asked as he began standing up, still in his work clothes. She pinched her nose and scrunched her face in disgust.

-"First, the shower. Then the kitchen, then we're going to get you a new phone." She said as she waved him away.

Mark was slightly annoyed by her antics but complied with her anyway, making his way to the shower. He slowly undressed in the bathroom before looking at himself in the mirror. He looked awfully paler, his hair was messy and sticking out all over the place, his body was looking unhealthy since he practically ate nothing for the past.. days? weeks? Mark didn't even know. He needed to at least workout a couple more days to get back in regular condition.

He stepped into the shower, turning on the water to a nice warm medium. He let the water drape his body, hair falling down and clinging all around his head. He placed a hand on the wall and knelt his head down to allow the water to run down his body. He stood there for a good while before kicking into gear and grabbing a bar of soap. He carefully and dazedly washed himself thoroughly. On his back, in his neck, his face, feet, his hands, between his legs, in his crotch, all over. He washed away the guilt and the sadness from his body. He washed his hair aggressively before letting the water drench his body and rid the soap entirely.

Once finished, he stepped out and dried himself with a towel before tying it around his waist and leaving the bathroom to change. Stepping into his closet, he looked for casual clothes he could wear. Picking out a blue T-shirt and some jeans, he put them on and walked out to meet Anne who was already making something in the kitchen.

-"Oh good. You're back. So your bread has gone bad and I decided to make omelets instead of French Toast." She said as he entered the kitchen, looking over her shoulder to see the mentioned food.

-"It smells nice." Mark said as he stepped back and walked to the sofa where he saw the blankets folded and a bottle of Air Freshener on the coffee table along with one, rather than 5, tissue boxes.

-"Yeah, your couch? Mmm, didn't smell so nice." she said as she shook her head similar to a child.

-"I bet.." Mark mumbled as he looked around for his phone, spotting it next to her. He went to reach for it when she shook her head and balanced the pan right over it.

-"Don't." she warned with the raise of an eyebrow. Mark put up his hands in fake surrender as he backed away slowly and she continued to cook. Mark pulled out a plate in time for her to place it there and commanded him to eat it.

The omelet was heavenly, Mark voiced this to her, and ate it with gratitude. He felt his body feeling much more energy filled than drained after eating. After he washed the dishes, she made him grab his wallet and they began making their way to get him a new phone.

-"Why, exactly, am I getting a new phone?" Mark asked as they drove there in her car.

-" So that our 'friends'," she said with air quotes on one hand while the other was on the steering wheel, "want to know where the hell you have been. Now, I can't exactly tell if that was in a way as in they care for you or they want yer fucking head on a damn pike. Point being, after who-knows-what happened in the hospital last week, Jack was completely torn and cried for a near hour. So I don't know what went down since he never really told me." she explained as she drove. Mark nodded his head with along what she said.

 _Jack was... torn for what he said?_ Mark thought to himself with hope.

-"Oh.." was all Mark replied with.

-"I also got your friend Bob a new phone as well. After you, I get to handle Jack." she said as she began turning into the parking lot of some phone store.

* * *

 

When Jack finally made it to his apartment, he noticed that Matthew and Gwen's cars were in the parking lot and he gave a sigh at that. He walked all the way up his stairs and took a deep breath before entering his home.

-"Surprise!" His friends shouted when he walked in.

Jack internally rolled his eyes and smacked every single one of them before throwing them out a window. But on the outside, he smiled and walked up to all of them, giving small hugs and such to each of them. He looked around and saw that they moved all the things they had stored for him back into the living room and with even more food. Jack smiled at all of them and began talking with them, everyone asking how he was doing and if he was alright. He nodded and answered with a simple 'Yes, I'm fine', even though he wanted to scream that he broke his own heart in the process of probably breaking his soulmate's.

-"Hey Jack, have you seen Anne recently?" Matthew asked him randomly. Jack cocked his head in curiosity of the sudden question.

-"No, not since she's visited me, why?" Jack replied.

-"Nothing. Just wondering." Matthew said with a raised eyebrow, something he did when he thought really hard on something. When Jack turned around to speak to a coworker of his, Matthew walked up to Stephanie and leaned next to her.

-"Anne hasn't gotten to jack yet..." He whispered.

-"I noticed. If she shows up, we have to keep them away from each other." She replied before taking a drink from her Lemonade.

-"I don't get what she's doing. I thought she hated Mark." Matthew said as they waved at Jordan who entered the house a little late.

-"So did I, but maybe it wasn't her. Maybe it was that other lady that worked with them." She replied as she turned to look at Matthew head-on.

-"Maybe.." Matthew said as he thought about it some more. Jordan walked over and looked at them suspiciously.

-"What's wrong?" He asked as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

-"We have reason to believe that Jack's Ex-Wife is trying to throw Bob, Mark and Jack off the grid." Stephanie explained.

-"Why would she do that?" Jordan asked as he scratched his scruff.

-"We don't exactly know the reason, but we do know that it's her. Cause we lost Bob's phone signal first, then we lost Mark's." Matthew explained.

-"H-how does that prove she was the one who did it?" Jordan asked, confused by their claims.

-"Well I asked everyone if we may have done it and everyone said no. She's been in town for some time longer than she should have if she was just here to look after Jack." Matthew defended.

-"Someone could have been lying. Don't get me wrong, I believe you, 's just that maybe it isn't her." Jordan replied as he shrugged. "But I don't even know. I'm gonna talk to Jack for a bit." And with that, he left. Matthew and Stephanie looked at one another doubtfully before splitting ways and starting up conversations with more people.

Jack was getting some food on a paper plate when he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Anne standing there with a present in her hands.

-"Hey!" He greeted as he hugged her. She giggled as she wrapped him in a tight embrace before letting go of him.

-"How are ye?" He asked as they let go of each other.

-"Oh... I'm fine. How are you? You just got out of the hospital today, right?" She asked as she sized him up with her eyes.

-"M' fine, yeah. I don't feel any less energetic or goofy." Jack replied with a big grin. She giggled.

-"You and your antics. Anyway, I got you a little giiiift." She said, handing him the wrapped box. He looked at her thoughtfully.

-"Aw! Thank you, Anne. That's r'lly nice of ye" he said as he shook the box as a joke. She laughed and checked her phone, receiving a message from Mark's new phone. She gave a dramatic groan. "What's wrong?"

-"Oh, ugh. It's something I have to care of. Um, enjoy your gift. Shoot, I'm sorry!" she said as she gave him the most innocent look she could muster. Unfortunately, it worked and jack waved her off.

-"No no, it's fine. You go be the CEO I once married." he said with a smile.

-"Are you sure?" She asked again with some sadness in her eyes. He shook his head.

-"Go." he said as he urged her with a smile. She said a quick goodbye to him and left the apartment. As she walked down the hall, she dialed Mark's number. He answered on the third ring.

-" _I'm on my way there._ " Mark said.

-"Good, I'll be there in a couple minutes." she said as she pressed the elevator button.

-" _I'm worried that this isn't going to work._ " Mark said, nervously.

-"Mark, all you're doing is staying off grid for a while. It's not that bad."

-" _But what about...Jack?_ " Mark asked. Anne pursed her lips.

-"He'll be fine. I can update him frequently if you want." Anne said as the doors opened.

-" _A-alright.._ "

-"Okay, see you soon." She said before hanging up. As the elevator doors closed, she let out a deep breath as she stood next to her old coworker. "Are we sure this is going to work?" Anne asked.

-"It'll be fine. It's not like they'll be missing each other anytime soon." Tiffany said. Anne nodded her head and relaxed a little.

-"Okay... seems fair.." Anne mumbled. Tiffany laughed lightly.

-"Indianapolis, here we come." Tiffany said as the elevator doors opened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the kinda sloppy chapter. Ehhhh
> 
> BUT I HOPE YOU LIKED IT!


	12. You've Got To Let Go...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark, Bob and Tiffany thrive in Indianapolis, 
> 
> But not all good things are meant to last when someone they tried to forget comes back into their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a time skip since the last chapter.
> 
> I hope you're enjoying this fic as much as I am, I have gotten started on the Superhero AU and I will upload it as soon as The 7th Rule is over.  
> Other than that, enjoy!
> 
> HoLY shIT I AM SO SORRY ABOUT THE UPDATE.

**_Two Years Later . . ._ **

Mark was frantically driving the car through traffic, the sirens ringing through the city as he drove to the hospital. Cars were moving slightly out of their lanes for the sake of the ambulance as it sped to the hospital.

-"We're losing blood!" Tiffany exclaimed as she held the rags and pads against the mans chest.

-"I'm going as fast as I can! Someone alert the ER that we have two gunshot victims!" Mark shouted. His partner, Ken, was translating his command through the speakers to those at the hospital.

The blood of Tiffany's hands was gathering more and more and she was actually they might lose somebody in the ambulance for the first time. As Mark drove frantically through the city of Indianapolis, he saw the large building of the hospital coming into his view in the distance.

-"Almost there!" Mark shouted. Tiffany nodded her head frantically, realizing that Mark couldn't see her she then replied with the same state her patient was in. London [OC] was yelling her own status as well, their patient was in similar condition to Tiffany's. Mark cursed under his breath and drove a little faster.

-"FUCK THESE PEOPLE WON'T MOVE." Ken shouted at all the cars that were swerving away just in time.

-"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon." Mark mumbled as he was nearing the hospital.

Bob was standing outside of the hospital in gear with two interns.

-"Okay, don't freak out. Dr. Fischbach says that both patients are in critical condition and that they need immediate assistance, so get their asses on a gurney and hurry them to the ER." Bob explained to the interns. Both gave him a nod before preparing for the worst. They saw the ambulance coming their way and Bob was ready to throw open the doors when he saw Tiffany and London open them themselves. Tiffany had a grim expression on her face while London began commanding at the interns to help her.

-"Oh, Jesus.. Tiff, don't stress about I--"

-"It's my fault. Shit... if only I went faster." Mark said, hunched over and banging his head on the steering wheel.

-"mark don't blame yourself.." Tiffany said with a sincere voice, her eyebrows drawn together in concern for her friend.

-"I know.. I know... god fucking _dammit!_ " he cursed as he smacked the steering wheel aggressively.

-"Mark. Cut your shit and answer your phone." Ken demanded, trying a small grin. Mark blew out a breath and answered, not looking at the caller ID.

-"How's my wonderful life-saver doing?" a voice asked. Mark's smile grew.

-"Well hello there." Mark replied.

-"Hehe, so I was thinking... maybe a movie and dinner tonight?"

-"Yeah. yeah, I'll show up at the house later to get ready." Mark replied.

-"Okay, see you there. Love you, markimoo..." his boyfriend cooed. Mark smiled and blushed at the nickname.

-"I love you too." Mark replied before hanging up. He sat there with a smile on his face before getting out of the ambulance car with the rest of his team. When they entered the hospital, the immediate smell of medicines and a prim smell, that one could only locate in a hospital, breached their noses and they felt energized all over again.

-"I am so sorry about the drive. Traffic's to blame." one of the secretaries said. Mark shrugged, still with a bit of guilt deep inside. "Oh, by the way, a man called. He was asking for you." she said, trailing after them.

-"What? Who?" Mark asked, confused by the statement.

-"Well, he claimed he was your best friend. Matthew.. Something?" she said. Mark, Tiffany and Ken froze all at once. The air grew tense around them.

-"W-wait what?" Tiffany asked.

-"U-uh.. I'll just... leave it to you then." She said hurriedly before walking away, fearful. Mark looked at Tiffany and she sighed.

-"Shit.. you don't think he's looking for you, is he?" Ken asked. Mark shook his head.

-"I pray to god he isn't." Mark replied as he pushed through double doors and made their way towards the emergency area.

* * *

-"What's wrong?" the blue streaked man asked. Mark looked up at him instead of the spot he was staring at on the table.

-"N-nothing. why do you a--"

-"mark, shut the frick up and tell me what's the matter." Austin [OC] asked with a sigh, munching on a fry lazily. Mark sighed. He could never get anything past him.

after moving from L.A. all the way across the country, Mark, Bob, and Tiffany began making a life for themselves in Indianapolis. They began working at the hospital and were first doubted by many of their peers but soon respected and befriended, making their settlement much easier for them. Mark, being the tragic asshole he is, spilled all of it to Ken and to Austin. Both were quite shocked by his actions but neither blamed him.  Ken was grateful and an amazing partner-in crime when it came to the hospital. Both were always kicking ass and settling scores between each other when it came to a scalpel and a defibrillator. Mark met Austin through Ken, it was a supposed blind date but only on Mark's end since Austin apparently knew so much from Ken. The two went out for a few dates and soon hit it off. They spilled their secrets to one another, made love, made up, argued, and even kept a friendly relationship.

Mark knew Austin's insecurities and vice-versa. They shared common interests in video games, horror films, music genres, charity work and horrible flirts and jokes. They grew very close together that everyone was surprised that they weren't soulmates. It hurt Mark at the thought, but hey, at least he could literally spend happily forever after with him. He worked as an assistant for one of the best attorney's in town and was taking classes at the university there. He was one of the most fascinating people the red-haired man had ever met. He was, both, serious and carefree whenever it was time to be one or the other. He used large words that he had never even heard of and always kept Mark on the tips of his feet to impress him. It was surprisingly not a lot since Austin was the one who fell for the other first.

-"It's just.. I think Matthew is trying to find me." Mark said, leaning back in the booth with a small nervous tick in his fingers as he drummed on his thigh every so often.

-"Wait.. the Matthew we're talking about is your old friend, right?" Austin asked before taking a drink from his milkshake.

-"Yeah. That's the one." Mark replied as he scooted closer to the table to eat more of his burger.

-"Well that's just... odd. Why would he do that?" Austin asked, leaning on his arms which were propping his head up.

-"Exactly! I don't even know!" Mark exclaimed as he ate a fry furiously.

-" Hey... don't let it bug you, babe." Austin said as he placed his hand atop Mark's. "I'm sure he's just checking up on you or something. You changed everything! your number, your job, your _state_. Pfft, we even got your hair color changed."

-"Hehe... yeah. I'm glad you did it with me" Mark said, smiling at his beloved boyfriend.

Mark decided he'd start an entirely new charity but in Indy, Austin even joined to help with the cause and now there's Five more hair-colored people walking the streets. Austin streaked his hair with a bright blue and it went well with his dirty-blonde hair which swirled atop his head, it almost looked gold. Mark changed the red back to a pink, the way it originally started out when he started the charity in L.A. He frequently sends money back in California as well.

-"It's no problem. I'm glad we could do it.. together.." Austin said, rubbing his hand over Mark's. The broader of the two blushed intensely at the notion.

-"I love 90's Style diners!" an all too familiar voice squealed as a group of people entered the restaurant. Mark raised his head from his beautiful hazel eyes to see his old friends walk in. All four of them.

-"Shit!" Mark cursed as he ducked his head down and pulled over his hoodie over his hair.

-"Mark? What's going on..?" Austin asked as he turned in his seat to look at where Mark just stared at. He turned back around and poked his head, ducked between his arms, continuously.

-"Shh. Don't look." Mark hissed. Austin's eyebrows scrunched together.

-"Well... why are you scared? Aren't you over it by now?" He asked. Mark shook his head and dared to look up. Thankfully, they haven't noticed their table yet.

-"I want, like, waffle fires.." he heard the blonder one of the group say.

-"Just shut tha hell up and just order watcha want.." Jack said, laughing at his friend. Mark's heart stopped.

-"Wait... is that guy your soulmate?" Austin asked, pointing backwards loosely at the green-haired Irishman. Mark nodded his head, still ducked down. Austin sighed. "Shit."

-"Oh my god, I love your hair!" Stephanie said. Austin turned his head to notice her staring right at him.

-"U-uh... thanks.." Austin replied, turning his head and touching his hair consciously.

-"We need to leave." Mark suddenly said, raising his head to meet Austin's eyes.

-"No, dumbass. Finish your food then we can leave." Austin replied. Mark glared at him before sitting up and drinking his milkshake, head turned away from the group that began looking for a booth.

-"You don't mind if we sit behind ya, do ye?" Jack asked Austin. He shook his head slowly. Jack smiled and took the booth right behind them. Mark turned to shoot daggers at his lovers' eyes.

-"What? It's no problem, really.." Austin replied with a shrug and smug smile on his face.

-"I hate you, right now." Mark muttered.

-"Aw, don't play. you love me, markimoo." Austin said and leaned over to peck his nose. Mark blushed and smiled.

But they didn't notice the booth behind them went silent.

-"Wait what?" A brown haired man with glasses asked as he looked up from the menu they were given.

-"Oh shit.." Mark muttered as his head began to fall onto his arms again.

-"Wait, Mark?!" Gwen exclaimed. Mark was about to stand up before their table burst into a fit of laughter.

-"Oh my god! Mark is on the menu!" Stephanie exclaimed. Both men in the other booth calmed down.

-"Is his hair... pink?" Jack asked, sadness in his voice. Gwen pursed her lips and pulled him into a hug on their side of the booth.

-"Aww, it's okay. We'll find him." Gwen said soothingly to the Irishman.

-"Check!" Austin exclaimed suddenly and stood up to chase down a waiter. Suddenly, Gwen looked over the booth and poked Mark's head.

-"Kay, I gotta go use the bathroom..." Stephanie announced as she stood up to leave the booth.

Mark waited for Austin to return with the check so they could get the hell out. Once they left their tip, they walked hand-in-hand to leave when Mark accidentally bumped into someone's shoulder.

-"Oh god I'm so so--" Stephanie apologized before her eyes widened seeing Mark's shocked face. "Wait.. Mark?!"

-"Nice to meet you!" Austin said before they rushed out in a hurry. Mark couldn't handle the memories flooding back in seeing her.

_Sam_

_The Hospital_

_His Friends_

_Sam_

_Sam_

_SAM--_

-"Mark!" Austin exclaimed as he shook his shoulders again in the car. Mark focused back and suddenly felt a soft, warm pair of lips on his, calming his sudden fears. Once they parted, Mark looked at Austin with sadness and tear brimming his eyes. His boyfriend cooed him not to cry and took off his glasses, wiping away his tears. "It's okay, Mark. I've got you. I won't leave. I've got you. Yeah yeah.. cry it all out. You're alright. I'm here for you, Mark. I won't be leaving anytime soon.." he soothed, placing a kiss in the bright pink locks of hair. Mark held himself in the thinner one's arms and felt calmer. Then they pulled out of the parking lot and left to their shared apartment.

* * *

 

Stephanie walked back to their table in a hurry and immediately sat down.

-"Woah, what's wrong?" Matthew asked seeing her worried face.

-"N-nothing.." She said.

-"Uh-huh. Okay, well i'm going to get a chicken burger." Gwen said, looking up from her menu.

-"How original of you.." Jack said, rolling his eyes.

-"Oh and what are _you_ having? Potatoes with a side of fries?" She teased. jack nudged her stomach and she giggled.

-"No. I'm having a friggin' sandwich. BLT." Jack said, matter-of-factly. Matthew chuckled.

-"I'm having their House Special." He said as he closed his menu with a cocky eyebrow. Stephanie fidgeted with her menu.

-"What about you, Steph?" Matthew asked. Suddenly, everyone's eyes were on her.

-"Uh.. I'll have a wrap and.. tea?" She replied as she closed her menu slowly and met everyone's unamused eyes.

-"Are we even sure they _have_ tea?" Gwen asked Matthew with a blank expression.

-"Probably.." he muttered.

A waitress came and got their orders before walking away. The group of four laughed, talked and joked around till their food came. They ate in a toned down amount of conversation, but it still remained.

-"Are you okay?" Matthew asked, noticing how the brunette woman wasn't speaking as much as she usually would. She set down her cup of iced tea and gave them all a once-over, noticing everyone was suddenly concerned.

-"I said nothing's wrong.." she replied, shrugging.

-"That's not what.. he meant.." Jack said, giving her a sympathetic smile. Stephanie's eyes cast down at her lap, realizing what they were talking about.

-"I'm fine." she replied with a serious face and a small nod. She didn't know exactly who she was speaking to, whether it was herself or her concerned.

-"Are you sure?" Gwen persisted.

-"Yes. It's not like.. it's not like I'll be traumatized forever from it." She said softly. Matthew laced their hands together and she let out a sigh.

-"Okay.. we believe you.." Matthew said with a smile and kiss. Jack was returning to eating when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket and he, difficultly, took it out of his jeans. It was an unknown number... but there was only a five word text that made him glance around the diner worriedly.

-"Jack, what's wrong?" Gwen asked, looking at him staring at the entire diner with a worried face.

-"jack?" Stephanie persisted. The Irishman fixed his stare onto them and slowly placed the phone in the middle of the table. Everyone loomed over it to read the simple text sent by the presumable figure they've been searching for.

**Don't Come Looking For Me.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaannndd there goes the happy moment.
> 
> Btw, what do you guys think of Mark's new man? Eh? Eh?


	13. Of All Of Our Ghosts...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Austin and Mark have a deep discussion,
> 
> the other's continue their search for Mark and strike gold on an interesting revelation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to thicken the plot!
> 
> warning:  
> Mentioned Smut

Mark was making his way through the crowd of people in the streets, hand-in-hand with Austin. They were looking for another place to eat within the city and enjoyed all the sights of skyscrapers they've seen again and again.

-"Y'now, I really like doing this.." Austin suddenly said, smiling brightly at Mark. "This whole, 'we're a perfect couple and currently not being tracked by your old friends that tried to kill you in namesake of trying to kill your soulmate' thing."

-"Wow. I am touched deeply by that." Mark replied, receiving a kiss on the cheek in response.

As they continued their walk, they noticed a small Italian restaurant that looked new for them. They walked in, Mark holding open the door for Austin and causing him to blush. Upon entering the restaurant, they immediately took in the smell of the pizzas, olive oil and fresh bread and dough. They took in large whiffs of the air and smiled at the scent that breached their noses and left a pleasant feeling in them.

-"Oh shit.. That smells so good.." Austin murmured in his ear as they were led to their table.

-"Mmm. It does, doesn't it?" He replied with a warm smiled.

Looking over at their menu, Mark looked up to see Austin staring at him dreamily, his head being held up by his hands. His hazel eyes shown to a shade of gold from the light hanging above their table, his hair looking shiny and much more fluorescent with the blue in it. Mark felt his stomach flutter with butterflies at the sight.

-"What?" Mark decided to ask, hiding his blush underneath the menu he held.

-"I just… don't know how I could come upon a guy like you." He said. Mark felt his heart soar at the words.

-" _I_ should be the one thankful for you." Mark said, pressing a hand on his chest to emphasize the meaning. Austin looked down at his lap for a second before looking back up across the table.

-"I just want you to know that no matter what happens… if either of us finds our soulmate that I'll always have a piece of my heart to you." Austin said with a small smile. Mark looked at him expectantly.

-"Is this your way of telling me that you found your soulmate?" Mark asked with gathered eyebrows. Austin let out a laugh.

-"No.. Haha.. No. Maybe one day. Fate has a way of reuniting everyone with their soulmates at some point but that time has not come for me yet." Austin said with a small chuckle.

-"Oh thank god.." Mark said with a sigh of relief.

-"But you have." Austin said, looking at Mark with unreadable eyes. The pink-haired man stared at the blue-streaked one with shock.

-"Babe," he said, lacing their hands on top of the table, his eyes meeting his partner's and putting in enough devotion into his words, "I won't be leaving you anytime soon."

-" But that's the thing, Mark. You have to. Eventually, you'll have to.." Austin said with a look of defeat, casting his eyes downward. Mark huffed in disapproval at that.

-"No. I won't. Not.. Not if I kill him first.." Mark said, his voice lowering to a whisper. Austin picked his head up in a heartbeat and stared at him with widened, scared eyes.

-"What? No. No no, you can't do that. Mark--"

-"If it's what it takes to be with you… I will. I don't want to give this up. I don't want to give  _you_ up." Mark said with his voice enlacing a power of both strength, courage and love. Austin sighed and looked Mark in the eyes, giving his hand a small squeeze.

-"I can't let you do that for me. It isn't right." Austin said, looking away from him again.

-"Why not? Why don't you want me to stay with y--"

-"Because I wouldn't do it for you." Austin announced. Mark was taken aback by that. Their fingers were losing their grip on each other.

-"W-what do you mean?" Mark asked with curiosity and fear.

-" I mean that I wouldn't kill my soulmate just to be with you. He or she  _is_ my soulmate after all. It's our literal destiny to be with them. No matter what.." Austin said, his voice falling to a sympathetic and official tone.

In all honesty, Mark was not thrown off from this statement. He enjoyed how Austin went on and on about how destiny/fate would work for people. Being able to believe in studies and such, seeing actual cases where people have legitimately tried killing the soulmate of their partner just to stay with them forever had given Austin the idea that maybe some things aren't just supposed to happen unless there's a reason for it to benefit for the future. Mark appreciated that from him and was one of the many things that he found intriguing in him.

-"Austin… please understand that  _I would_  do anything for you. Even If you won't reciprocate your feelings.  _I_ will." Mark stated with an affirmation in his voice.

-"Mark, you said it yourself!" The younger of the two exclaimed, "You killed his daughter, and now you're going to kill /him/ too?"

-"Excuse me?" Mark gritted out. Austin looked up, widening his eyes at his sudden mistake.

-"I mean, no-- I didn't mean that /you/ killed her but--"

-"No.. You did. Y-you think I'm a child murderer?" Mark asked, voice cracking slightly, his eyebrows pinched up and his face expressing his hurt.

-"No! God, Mark I didn't--"

-"But you did say it. You _did_." Mark announced.

-"Mark, you know I would never accuse you for that." Austin said, his eyes hardening while the other's were hurt and soft. "I always took your word. You and I know each other's deep personal experiences and we've faced so much on our own that it's the reason why we've been brought together--"

-"Oh.. Sure" Mark said with a chuckle. "You think you and I are together just because of the shit I've done compared to what you're /boyfriend/ did to you?!" Mark exclaimed in a hushed tone. It was Austin's turn to be hurt. "yeah, doesn't feel so good being reminded of shit. Does it?"

-"Mark, we agreed that--" Austin said quietly.

-"Yeah, and we also agreed that you'd never mention Sam." Mark bit out. The two had a staring contest before the waitress came over and enthusiastically asked what they'd have to order.

Once that was cleared out, Mark had realized that their hands grew apart and now rested on opposite ends of the table.

-"Austin--" Mark began to say softly.

-"Can we just enjoy our fucking lunch?" Austin snapped, raising his head and looking at Mark with cold eyes. He immediately closed his mouth and sat back in the booth. Austin rarely cussed, and whenever he did he was beyond pissed or sad. Or both.

* * *

-"Holy fuck.." Austin said, breathless from their activities. Mark laughed at him.

-"Wow.. We really need to argue more…" Mark said, panting.

-"I think I left one too many hickeys on you.." Austin said, lifting his head to stand corrected at seeing his boyfriend's tanned body littered in purple spots.

-"Jesus.. How's your back?" Mark asked, turning over to face him.

-"Probably bleeding.. Hehe.." the paler one said with a chuckle.

-"Jesus.. You're so--"

-"Big?" Austin said with a smug smile and lip bite. Raising an eyebrow as he turned to look at Mark. The latter smacked his chest lightly with a huff.

-"More like cocky…" He replied.

-"Damn right I am" he said with a wink. Mark pulled him in for a kiss that lasted before breaking apart again.

-"hmm how about a shower?" Austin asked, smiling at Mark with his eyes closed.

-"How about I top next time?" Mark replied with a laugh. Austin let out a giggle and leaned into Mark's chest, curling up against him.

-"Are you sure? Because I made you cum, twice." Austin whispered in his ear hotly. Mark felt that go straight to his groin, not ready for a round two yet.

-"yeah, yeah. Shower sounds good." he said. Austin chuckled and buried his face in his neck.

The pair eventually stood up and went to shower together, washing themselves up lasted a while before they dried themselves and wore each other's sweatpants. They threw their bedsheets in the washer and laid on the couch, spooning each other as they watched the sun slowly set from their large glass doors to their apartment. As Mark felt his eyes droop, he felt a kiss on the back of his hand.

-"I love you, Mark." He whispered. Mark smiled.

-"I love you more, Austin.." The broader one replied. And as they began feeling their slumber take over their bodies, the orange light pouring in leaving a cozy setting in their living, they thought they heard the doorbell ring twice.

Then their front door was thrown open, greeting the unwelcomed guests they never expected.

* * *

 -"Well this is a nice house!" Gwen exclaimed, hands on her hips and admiring the living room of the grand apartment. Mark and Austin scrambled onto their feet and grabbed the nearest items next to them: A candlestick and a pen.

-"What the--! GET OUT!" Mark exclaimed.

-"Or what? You're going to hit me upside the head with a candlestick? this isn't clue, dumbass." Matthew replied, rolling his eyes. Mark narrowed his eyes at him and he placed a protective hand on Austin's chest.

-"Oh, is he your new toy?" Gwen mocked.

-"Toys run on batteries, bitch." Austin snapped. She raised her eyebrows.

-"Oh look, he can talk too!"

-"What's tha hold up--" Jack asked as he entered and saw the scenario. Most importantly, Mark.

-"Well they were home.." Gwen replied to nobody in general now.

-"Mark...yer hair--" Jack as he began taking slow steps toward him.

-"Is this him?" Austin asked as they both took a step back. Mark nodded his head.

-"Oh, nice tah meet ya. I'm--"

-"Jack McLoughlin, yeah.. heard a lot about you." Austin replied, sizing him up with his eyes. Jack was taken aback and scrunched his eyebrows together.

-"umm.. I-i'm sorry, are yu two roommates?" Jack asked.

-"You could say that.." Mark spoke.

-"Aww, they're in love!" Gwen cooed sarcastically as she clasped her hands together and raised her leg in fake-adoration.

-"Well that makes sense.." Matthew mumbled to himself.

-"Y-yer with somebody else?" Jack asked, looking slightly taken back and confused.

-"Well I don't go around mentioning his worst moments like some kind of joke so.." Austin said with a careless shrug. Jack flicked his eyes over to him.

-"I can see ye have a type, Mark. Attractive, smart--" Gwen began to go on.

-"Not bitchy like you or as much of an ass as him." Austin cut in. Gwen narrowed her eyes.

-"I'm a real force to be reckoned with.." she taunted. Austin scoffed.

-"Okay, be careful. You don't wanna hurt yourself with your sharp wit." Austin replied.

-"babe.. stop.." Mark warned.

-"Okay, asshole. Wanna play dirty?" She said as she began making her way to him. Mark suddenly stood defensively in front of him.

-"Don't you dare lay a finger on him." Mark said with a dark tone.

-"Or else what? You'll kill her?" Jack snapped. Mark turned to look at him.

-"I'm just saying that--"

-"Saying wot? Huh? That you'll kill her the same way you killed my daughter?!" Jack shouted as he stabbed Mark. Mark felt at where the blade was being pulled out and he felt his knees buckle. Suddenly, he felt himself being dragged away and saw Jack lung at Austin, cutting him randomly. "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT MARK?! HUH?!" jack shouted.

As Austin fell to the ground, slowly bleeding, he reached his arm out to Mark.

-"I thought you loved me..." he whispered. Then Mark blinked and it was suddenly a really dirty and bloody Sam.

-"Save me, red-haired man. _Save Me._ " She whispered. Then she was suddenly on his chest and was looking at him with tearful eyes. " _WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE ME! WHY COULDN'T YOU! WHY COULDN'T YOU SAVE M--_

* * *

-"MARK!" Austin shouted again as he shook him awake.

-" _SAM!_ " Mark shouted as he bolted upright on the ground. Austin looked at him with worried eyes, eyebrows pinched upwards in fear.

-"No no, Mark. shh.. shh.. It's me. It's alright. You're alright." he soothed as he held Mark, who trembled with sobs.

-"Oh god. I-I-I saw you d-die and I couldn't save you or-or Sam. I couldn't do it.." Mark said between sobs.

 He took slight notice between the blur of the tears that he was now resting on the cold wooden floor, right beside the couch. He saw that the TV was on Netflix, paused on some scene on Orange Is The New Black. Mark finally let his sobs die down, but the tears kept flowing little by little.

-"I-I didn't mean to ruin y-your time.." Mark mumbled. Austin's eyes widened and he shook his head frantically, pressing Mark's head closer to his bare chest.

-"Shh, you never ruin my time. ever. You could be too scared of the dark to get  glass of water and I'll be there to help. Don't ever be afraid to ask for my help..." Austin said.

Sitting there, in silence, propped against Austin as their breaths met a rhythmic and calming pace gave Mark the sudden conclusion of what this was: He was the man he'd want to spend the rest of his life with. For Now...

* * *

Gwen groaned behind the group for the fifth time that afternoon and Jack was losing his patience with her very quickly. They had been walking through Indianapolis for hours, for any sign that indicated the apartments that could have led to Mark but to no avail. Finally, they reached a large area with a couple apartment complexes around and a park. They walked across the street to sit on the grass and lay against a large oak tree. Gwen fell to her knees quite dramatically and sat against the base of the tree, wiping brow off her forehead.

-"Oh for fucks sake, Gwen. We barely walked forty-five minutes..." Stephanie scolded as she sat beside the blonder woman.

-"Oh, okay. Well it's not my fault that my period decided to do a three days early visit and make me all bothered, moody and hungry." She snapped. Matthew's eyes widened for a second at how ridiculous she sounded.

-"Can we jus' fokin' let the beauty o' this park sweep us away?" Jack asked, focusing on hearing nature rather than his friend's bickering. Jack took a deep breath and felt calm by the sudden intake of the stillness of the park. He closed his eyes and let a smile dance onto his lips.

-"Wait what if--"

-"Shh! He's having a moment!" Matthew hissed at Gwen, presumably.

-"Pfft, whatever.." She replied. Jack decided to block them out for a second as he enjoyed life at that moment. Letting out all stress from his mind, curling his fingers in the grass that was near as bright as his hair, if not even darker. He felt the roughness from the bark of the tree and the softness of the patches of grass growing right underneath it. He inhaled the sweet smell of trees and clear air.

-".. and maybe she has a point." he heard from Stephanie as he let his ears focus back into their conversation, keeping his eyes closed.

-"We can give it a try.. but let's just wait for jack to finish his moment." Matthew said sincerely.

-"I'm done." Jack replied as he opened his eyes to let the fresh and bright colors of the trees fill his eyesight.

-"perfect, let's bounce." Gwen said as she stood up with more energy than before. Everybody else took their time to stand, then the four of them began making their way towards a small, little restaurant. As they entered, the first thing they noticed was the smell of a grill and barbecue sauce.

-"Howdy, folks. What can I getcha?" A woman with glasses asked as she stood behind the podium.

-"Uh.. we're actually here for information.." Stephanie said.

-"oh! Tourists, I see?" She asked. They shook their heads. "Lost?" They shook their heads hesitantly. "Oh.. um.. information 'bout what, then?"

-"We were wondering if ye know this guy?" Jack said as he handed her a picture of Mark. She took a look and she gasped.

-"Oh my lordy, I can't ever forget his face." She said as she handed back the picture. "c'mere, I'll tell ya all I know 'bout him." She said as she began leading them to a random booth in the corner of the small building.

-"so.. you _do_ know him?" Matthew asked for clarification.

-"well yeah. He walked in here with two o' his friends! Bob and uh.. Mackenzie? Tina?"

-"Tiffany." The other four said in unison. They figured out her identity by asking around the hospital about her and checking on Jack's chart for surgeons.

-"Yeah, her. They came in one night tired as all hell and I had run outta tables. by golly was it one crazy night. Anyway, one of my frequents came in looking frantic and asked for my help. I sat him down alone at the bar stand. Your boy Mark over here came and ordered some drinks when he noticed the poor fella was lonely. He started talkin' to him and Austin was beyond traumatized to be able to reply fully." She explained.

-"Wait... who's Austin?" Gwen asked.

-"well that's his new boyfriend. Not soulmates, sadly, but they're together now. Oh yeah, got a nice apartment right across the park over there" She explained. Everyone turned to glance at Jack who shifted uneasily in his seat, his mind swirling with thoughts.

_Mark... moved on?_

-"But anywho, they started chattin' up and soon they both departed their own ways. Then a couple months later, I see them out on a date, sayin' that Ken set 'em up. He's akways too good for people, that fool. But then sooner than later they became a thing. I chatted with Mark a lot, he told me all about how some assholes back in Cali were framin' him for crazy shit. He was too drunk to remember what he told me the next mornin'. Speakin' of, how do ye guys know him?"

-"Umm.." Matthew said, averting his eyes from her.

-"We're the asshole friends." Gwen said with a smile.

-"Oh. well in that case, good luck." She replied.

-"T-thank you...for everything Miss...?"

-"Cj, Call me CJ." CJ [CARTOON JUNKIE AF] said with a small nod.

-"See you around, CJ" Gwen said as they all began shuffling out of the booth.

-"Oh, one last thing!" She exclaimed before they headed out. "Don't break up what they have, it's nice to see someone finally takin' care of Austin."

-"What's that supposed ta mean?" Jack asked.

-"Well, Austin's last man was quite a rude fella." She replied with raised eyebrows.

-"What do you mean rude? Like.. he was an ass?" Matthew asked, confused by the statement.

-"oh yeah, more than an ass. Kicked him outta my restaurant for what he did."

-"Well.. what'd he do?" Stephanie asked, letting go of the door handle in confusion to hear the next part.

-"Well it's not my place to tell ya, but his other man beat him. They's had an abusive relationship."

And that.

Changed.

Everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot.  
> Twist.


	14. We Both Know We Ain't Kids No More...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark faces the most dreadful encounter he never thought would happen,
> 
> Austin gets bitchy af

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHITE THIS FIC IS ALMOST AT 200 KUDOS. WTF.  
> THANK YOU!!!
> 
> enjoy this chapter. while it lasts.

Mark heard a knock on the door and he felt Austin react first as he untangled them from the blankets they were cocooned in.

-"I'll go get it." He whispered as he kissed mark's forehead. Mark made a small plea but Austin began making his barefooted way to the door. As Austin opened the door he was met with an unexpected surprise.

-"Hi! We're here from the Sherlock Bar down the street!" Two rather beautiful looking women stood in the door entrance wearing bright, sparkly green burlesque suits and tiny leprechaun hats above their dolled up hair.

-"Um.. can I help you?" He asked quizzically. They giggled and one of them placed a hand on his chest while the other rode her leg up his own.

-"Maybe you can.. help us?" One asked in a soft tone, biting her lip as she rubbed his chest. Austin raised an eyebrow.

-"I'm pretty sure my boyfriend would disagree." Austin said, curling in his lips and raising his eyebrows at them. They let go of him and groaned.

-"Ugh! It's always the hot ones!" One of them pouted.

-"What's your boyfriend's name?" Another asked. Austin raised an eyebrow.

-"Uh... Mark." He said. She squealed.

-"Aww! That's a cute name! Is it short for Markus?" The one who squealed asked, her hands under her chin in marvel.

-"Yes, it is." Mark said as he appeared at the door, also shirtless. The other girl widened her eyes at seeing his chiseled physique.

-"Jesus I need a boyfriend." She mumbled as she blushed. Both men barked out a laugh.

-"Can you maybe tip us a dollar or something because we really need to pay our friend's tab and she's wasted as all hell." The other pleaded. Mark nodded his head with a shrug and went to search his wallet. "So, like, where did you find him?"

Austin turned around to see Mark bend over as he dropped the money, smirking.

-"Well.. more so that he found me.." Austin said as he began trudging along with the two dollars. He handed them their money.

-"Here you go, stay safe ladies.." Mark said, waving them off as they said their little goodbyes and made their way to the stairs. With the small cold coming in of the Autumn nighttime, Mark closed the door and the smaller one of the two placed his hand on Mark's chest and riding his leg up him.

-"Yeah.. it _is_ always the hot ones" He said. Mark scoffed and pushed him away jokingly, Austin gripping his hand and pulling himself back to join their lips in a soft kiss. Mark smiled.

-"Round two, already?" He mumbled. Austin nodded his head as he sank to his knees, Mark watching his movement.

* * *

-"Yup, he's your guy Mark." The brunette said as she leaned against the railing that led to the first floor of the apartment complex. The more darker haired girl looked at them with curled in lips.

-"So, like, where's our money 'tho" She said, raising an eyebrow. Matthew and Stephanie handed them each $20 before they waved and said goodbye.

-"Thank you!" Gwen called out before turning to face Jack's wrecked expression. "it's okay... maybe they're fuck buddies or something?"

-"That live together?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow. "whatever, now we know where they live. Let's call it a night.." he grumbled.

-"Jack, sweetie--" Stephanie began.

-"Leave me alone. I'll see ye at tha hotel." He mumbled.

-"Jack--"

-"LEAVE ME ALONE." He snapped as he stopped and clenched his fists. He looked over his shoulder to see none of them reacting so he continued walking.

 _Can't believe he moved on like that. Who tha hell_ does _that. After all this darn time, he moved on. Knowing damn well he had a soulmate on the other side o' the planet. Fokin' asshole._ Jack thought to himself as he walked. He looked up instead of staring at his feet kicking a rock when he realized he was damn near lost. _Perfect._

-"Hey kid.. you got any candy on ya?" A man asked as he chuckled, holding his pants and walking over to him. Jack scrunched his eyebrows together in annoyance and began turning around... when another man appeared and chuckled.

-"Where you goin'?" he taunted. Jack turned back around only to be met with the first man walking over. Jack felt like he could get around when a third guy walks out of the shadows beside a beat up mattress.

-"H-ey, Buddy. where you think you goin'?" He asked, shoving him against the alley wall. Jack was startled and didn't want to pick a fight. He let his shoulders relax.

-"No where.. why ye ask?" he said. All three made a laughing noise.

-"lookie here, Ronnie, we got ourselves a Scottish." The one on his right said, smiling with a gold tooth and rotten teeth.

-"Damn right we do. Ay, you like dick or pussy?" The one of his left said with a smirk.

-"Well wouldn't ye like tah know." Jack snapped. They all whistled.

-"He's got a mouth on him. why don't you put it to good use." The one in front said as he grabbed jack's head and brought him to his knees with surprising strength.

-"Yeah, how you like big, American cock?" he said as Jack tried recoiling but the hand in his hair smacked him right into his denim covered crotch. Jack did the only thing that made sense to get out of this situation.

He rammed his fist between his legs.

The man recoiled and fell backward, the other two reached for Jack but he ducked between their grasps and tried tackling past the one blocking his exit. to no avail, however, as he was yanked backwards and thrown on the ground.

-"What, you wanna get feisty, eh?" the one who grabbed him said, punching Jack's gut with a hard blow. Jack groaned at the sudden blossoming pain that spread across his abdomen.

-"Stupid little bitch" another said, slamming a rusted pipe onto his head then onto his stomach. Jack felt blood form on his hair as he felt it stick to the ground trying to lift his head only to be met with a punch to the temple. Jack fell uselessly on the ground before he heard struggling. He was staring at the wall, so jack slowly turned his body to see two men, one bulky and the other kinda lanky, try and fight them off.

-"What you gon' do?" One of the men snapped.

-"This." the thinner one mumbled as he threw a blow to the man and he heard something break. He stumbled backward.

-"Get away." The bulkier one said in a deep tone. Jack felt like it was familiar.

-"or else, what, you'll use your pecs to blow me away?" He snapped. The man right hooked into his stomach and then threw him off balance to the ground.

Jack felt himself being lifted and was feeling his eyes beginning to droop.

-"Why the hell do people pick fights nowadays. This poor guy--" one of them mumbled before the streetlight shone into Jack's eyes that he squeezed them shut.

-"Wait isn't that--?"

-"jack.." the deeper voice mumbled right above Jack's ear. And then he felt himself being dropped and he blacked out.

* * *

-"Really." Gwen said with an unamused expression, arms crossed and her hip pushed out. Mark was staring at the green-haired man on the floor, small blotches of red covering the right side of his face.

-"that's him? Wow.. he's not bad.." Austin mumbled. Gwen raised an eyebrow.

-"Okay, pick his ass up." She demanded.

Mark felt all the emotions he'd been bottling up show.

Anger.

Worry.

Fear.

Sadness.

..love..

-"Mark?' Austin asked, snapping his fingers. Mark blinked a couple times before taking command and lifting Jack with more effort than he thought. Mark looked at Jack's arms and saw there was a slight hint of muscle that wasn't there two years ago.

-"Oh thank god you found him." Matthew panted as he rested his hands on his knees. Stephanie walked slowly behind him until she stopped and stared at Mark with wide eyes. "What's with the pink hair?"

-"What's with the glasses, Clark Kent?" Austin snapped. Matthew scrunched his eyebrows at the blonde man's comment.

-"sorry. didn't know it was personal." He said with a shrug.

-"It isn't. I started a charity here.." Mark said as he pushed past them. Stephanie watched as Mark walked with their friend bridal style and Austin walking along.

-"Are these them?" Austin whispered. Mark nodded his head.

-"Is that him?" Stephanie whispered. Matthew shrugged as they followed.

Once they reached their apartment building, Mark carried Jack up the stairs before having the door opened by the blue-streaked man and led everyone inside. Closing the door, Austin watched as they all sat down on the couch awkwardly as Mark placed Jack on a one-person couch before walking to the kitchen, filling up glasses of water. Taking two by two, he gave his old friends glasses of water and left one next to Jack on the lamp table. Then he stood next to Austin, arms crossed.

-"nice place.." Gwen said, looking around her proximity. Photos of family from both of them and some random furniture.

-"Cut the shit, why are you here?" Mark said, his paramount voice taking over. Austin was under than tone a couple times, it terrified him. Mostly it was when Mark was angry or jealous.. but still frightening.

-"Don't look at me, it was Jack's idea." She replied. Stephanie scoffed.

-"You were the one going on about 'don't let the love of your life slip away like mine did'" She said in a mocking-voice of the blonde woman's. The latter smacked her arm in annoyance and warning.

-"I left for a reason." Mark said, narrowing his eyes at them.

-"You mean Tiffany, oh yeah... we know all about her, brought you and Bob's asses here after not being able to face the fact that you're a little bitch." She smugly said, checking her nails to add to the bitchiness in her tone.

-"Oh, you mean when you guys blamed him for the death of his daughter when in reality it was the dumbass who _actually_ killed her that was responsible. Not him." Austin said with a soft smile that had poison laced into it. Gwen looked at Mark in bewilderment before he smirked.

-"What, you'd expect that I don't share my past with the man I love?" Mark asked.

-"Your soulmate is passed out over there." Matthew said, narrowing his eyes.

-"And mine is God-Knows-Where. Your point is..?" Austin asked with bitterness in his voice.

-"Austin." Mark warned. He looked at Mark before he wrapped their fingers together defensively.

-"Married?" Stephanie asked. They shook their heads.

-"No... we don't want to. Y'know.. in case this happened.." Mark said, referencing to the green-haired Irishman. Speaking of, he stirred a little and everybody's attention snapped to him as he began opening his eyes, the small light beside him glowing. Jack blinked his eyes a couple times before assessing the situation with his eyes.

-"Are we in his house?" Jack asked before his eyes landed on the shirtless couple standing beside the door.

-"Yes." Austin said, too much sharpness in his tone than he intended to.

-"Austin." Mark warned.

-"Wait, he's the one who was in an abusive--"

-"jack!"" gwen exclaimed in warning. He realized his mistake and kept his mouth shut. He dared a look up to meet the blue-streaked man's face and saw pure venom at the stare.

-"What, have you been stalking us?" he asked through gritted teeth. Mark squeezed his hand to calm him.

-"N-no, some person told us. We were looking for you and they said too much." Matthew reassured, keeping CJ's name out of the sentence.

-"Oh. And who exactly was that?" He asked, still through gritted teeth.

-"Austin.. please calm down." Mark pleaded in a whisper.

-"No.. they don't get to just waltz in and take everything we've built right out of the--"

-"I just wanted to see him.. and say sorry..." Jack said. Gwen snapped her head in awe at the Irishman. "I know what happened with Sam wasn't yer fault. I'm sorry about what I said about M--"

-" _Please...._ don't say her name.." Mark whispered, loud enough for him to hear across the room. Jack closed his mouth and nodded. Austin simmered down slightly.

-"I'm sorry, Mark." Jack said with finality and care in his voice. Gwen looked at him with wide-eyes.

-"Are you for real?" She asked.

-"YES. HE'S BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH!" Jack suddenly shouted, frightening everybody at the sudden change of volume from the Irishman. Austin looked at Jack clearly now. He was harmless.... kind... tough... he had a small formation of dimples... and he was.. perfect.. for Mark.

-"sorry.." She whispered. He scoffed.

-"Damn right ye are." He mumbled. She looked away from him in sudden regret. Mark felt his expression soften. That tug he felt two years ago was back. And he was afraid it would pull him away from the life he had now.

They settled on letting them stay the night there, washing the bedsheets in a hurry and spraying the entire room with Febreeze. Jack took notice that one of their windows was open which led to the alley he was probably in. One of the men laying there while the other two were long gone. Jack slept on the couch with Gwen while they offered Stephanie and Matthew their own bed.

For such a dangerous look he had, Austin was quite the gentleman. He asked if everybody felt comfortable or not and made sure everyone was doing okay, even Jack. Austin settled on getting a sleeping bag and sleeping in the kitchen, Mark joining him not too soon after. As they felt themselves going to sleep, he heard a whisper from the couch.

-"Mark?" Jack called out. Austin felt a small tinge of jealousy.

-"He's asleep." Austin whispered back. Then he heard shuffling and saw Jack silently hop over the couch and tip-toe toward them, Austin sitting up. Jack sat at the end of his sleeping bag and looked at him with large eyes.

-"Listen... I just. want tah thank you. For putting him back together." Jack said sincerely. "And I know he's happy with ye. He should be. I mean, look at ye. You're all attractive and nice... I just feel shitty for what I did all those years ago.." he said, ducking his head down.

-"I'm sorry too.." Austin said, from an unknown honesty he must have bottled up. "I was being rude and... I just.. can't have everything ripped away from me again.." Austin whispered. "I was in foster care, and thrown into the adoption center, and went through.. a hell of a relationship before this one. But now I'm happy. We're happy." He said with a smile.

-"I can see that." jack said, with a small smile.

-"If you're going to take him from me... just please give me a heads-up. I don't want to... suddenly show up from a class or something and find out he's gone. I-it'd wreck me.." Austin whispered.

-"I will... but from how we see he's doing.. I'm guessing he won't be leaving anytime soon." jack said, glancing at the man with his back to them.

-"Don't be so sure about that.." Austin said. He felt the end of he and Mark's relationship coming soon... and it scared him to death.

-"We could always have a threesome.." jack said. Both hid their giggles at the idea.

-"I'm flattered.." Austin said, a smile on his lips.

-"Alright.. I'm gonna hit the hay.. it was nice meetin' ya." Jack said.

He stood up quietly and returned to the couch not as dramatically as when he exited. As Austin settled back into his sleeping bag, he couldn't help but keep one thought left in his mind. It wasn't necessarily all too important to keep his mind thinking, but it scared him to realize this thought:

_If I was in the same situation, would I leave Mark?_

_After all, we both know we ain't kids no more._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahahaha I literally did a Draw for who should die.  
> hehe..  
> hehe..  
> umm...
> 
> Ily?


	15. I Was Too Strong, But You Were Trembling...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Austin and Jack have an awkward moment,
> 
> Stephanie feels confused in light of certain events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh MY GOD 200+ KUDOS!!  
> THAN YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE LOVE IN THE COMMENTS.
> 
> First off, Thank you so much, I hope you like it.  
> Second off, These next few chapters are going to be pretty intense.
> 
> **TRIGGER WARNINGS!**  
> Miscarriage (Mentioned)  
> 

Stephanie was sitting in the narrow 'bed', her sweet swaying side-to-side slowly and causing the paper sheet underneath her to crinkle every so often. She was wordlessly playing out every and any worst case scenario in her head. She couldn't bear to lose another child.

Not again.

However, As the hazel-brown haired woman waited, she finally heard the doorknob rattle and she picked her back up and sat as straight as a paddle board. The doctor was looking at the clipboard, closing the door behind her absentmindedly before raising her head, straightening her glasses and smiling.

-"Good evening, Stephanie. How are you on this fine evening?" She asked in a swell, slightly British tone. Stephanie fiddled with her knuckles before letting out a small laugh.

-"Nerve wracking. Doctor, it isn't even lunchtime yet." Stephanie replied. The doctor glanced at her watch and let our a laugh.

-"My god, it isn't. Hahaha, I lose track of time around here when all I'm doing is trying to beat it." She said with a laugh. Stephanie felt herself slightly calmer. "Now, you're here to see if you are pregnant, yes?"

-"yes, that's correct." Stephanie replied, scratching the back of hand nervously.

-"Well from what's on your chart it's all leading up to it, but I think we'll take a blood test and pee test just to be safe." The doctor said with a smile. Stephanie nodded her head.

The doctor was leading her to follow her when she glanced down at Stephanie's hand that smoothed out her blouse absentmindedly.

-"Are you married?" She asked. Stephanie nodded her head.

-"I haven't told him yet. I'm afraid to tell him since we recently.. uh.. h-had a miscarriage." Stephanie replied with a slight sadness filling her voice. The doctor placed a hand over her heart and the other on Stephanie's arm. She gave her a pitiful look.

-"Oh, I am so sorry you had to endure that. I had a miscarriage as well when I was just getting into college, I was reckless and I felt like.. a part of me was being ripped away. It's what started my longing to be where I am now." The doctor replied with a soft smiled. Stephanie felt herself meet her eyes and smile back, but with not as much emotion.

They walked toward a large room with cheesy posters placed all around a rather comfy chair placed a couple steps from the middle of it.

-"Have a seat, and we will begin."

* * *

-"Oh god, I have not had sex in a _long_ time" Gwen complained as she sat down. Austin scoffed at her.

-"Where's your soulmate?" He asked. She sighed and waved her hand carelessly in the air as if blowing away the subject.

-"Probably Antarctica or some shit since we traveled across the friggin' country and he was nowhere to be found." She said.

-"You mean, we traveled in an air plane..." Jack said, raising an eyebrow at her.

-"I like to think that our airplane had people from all around, okay? There was that chick who looked like a prisoner." She replied.

-"Cause she  _was_ a prisoner, didn't you see her parole officer sitting right next to her?" Matthew said as he walked in with another set of grocery bags.

-"well that's friendly." Austin replied.

-"Very much so, yes." Gwen added. As Jack brought in the last set of grocery bags, Austin commanded them where to place where in their rather small kitchen while he mostly helped with things they had trouble with.

Mark being at work and Stephanie having an 'emergency', the four of them were bound to spend the morning together. Mark asked to take them to the grocery store for the sake of wasting time. Unfortunately, with four people traveling together, what could have been a three hour job without selfless people ended up taking an hour. Austin's next class was until later after lunch and the other three were going to be touring around Indianapolis while he was gone for an hour and a half.

-"So... how much are you paid for working for an attorney?" Matthew asked. Austin looked at him and shrugged.

-"I don't like talking about my salaries to my friends.." He said.

-"We're friends?" Gwen grumbled, getting smacked lightly by a box of cheerios from Jack in response.

-"I don't see why we can't get along." The blue-streaked man said, crossing his arms and looking at her with strong body language. She rolled her eyes and turned to placing the items in the cupboards.

-"Okay... so what do ye do there?" Jack asked.

-"I mostly handle paperwork and whore around to get information."

-"Wait really?" Gwen asked, interest peaked.

-"No!" He replied, disgusted. "I do, however, handle most of the paperwork and I do all the research."

-"Wow, you're really helping the world, aren't you?" Gwen said, losing interest.

-"Oh and what do _you_ do?" He asked.

-"I'm a corporate manager for the biggest computer developing software in the world." She said with a smirk.

-"No yer not.." Jack said, not realizing it was out loud.

-"Dude, Really?" She snapped, staring daggers into her best friend. He shrugged and gave her an apologetic glance before returning to fold paper bags.

-"She's the creator of a fashion outlet." Matthew whispered. Austin's eyebrows shot up.

-"Woah, no way."

-"Okay it was a phase and it's such a-- wait what.." She replied, tilting her head in confusion.

-"What's your line name?"

-"uhh... The Truffles Collection.." She replied awkwardly from the sudden spotlight.

-"oh! I got one of your suits!" He said eagerly. She perked her head up.

-"Really?"

-"Wait, really?" jack asked, staring at Austin.

_I bet you anything that--_

-"Yeah! I wore it to a gala, I brought Mark as my Plus One." Austin said with a smile.

 _I knew it..._ Jack thought to himself.

-"Jack, are you okay?" Matthew asked. The other two turned to see Jack clutching onto a box of granola bars a little too tightly. he loosened his grip and shelved it.

-"Peachy." He replied a little too sharply.

-"Are you sure? Did you sleep well?" Austin asked, looking at him with slight worry.

-"Fokin' asshat" Jack muttered under his breath. "yeah, I'm fine." he said louder with a more chipper voice.

-"If you need anything just ask.." Austin replied as he continued with the groceries.

 _What I need is for ye to stop fokin' my soulmate._ he thought to himself.

As their small chore went, it was awfully silent for them in which they began a new conversation on the topic of politics. Jack could honestly care less about it but he was just trying to busy himself to refrain his undesirable ability to hurl a can of sliced pineapple at the brighter man's head.

Once they finished their work, though, Jack excused himself to the restroom where he splashed cold water on his face. He looked up to see himself, slightly pink and pale. His blue eyes staring into himself through the reflective glass. He looked at his hair which lay attractively messy atop his head, down to his slightly veiny arms and his colorful left wrist from all the bracelets he wore. He ran a hand down his face in sudden frustration and anxiety. He looked back and fixed his posture.

 _I'm fine. It's fine. I should be happy for Mark._ he thought to himself before nodding his head to himself and walking out of the small space. He walked back to see everyone on the counter, talking normally with small bits of wine in glasses.

-"oh hey! You like red?" Austin asked as he readied the bottle atop the wine glass. Jack shrugged and he took that as an opportunity to pour some in. "They were just talking about your fear of heights."

-"Oh.. great.." Jack said as he leaned onto the counter and joined the conversation. They took small sips of wine every now and then. Their laughs echoed through the large apartment every so often.

-"No no, I'm serious!" Matthew said as he set down his empty glass. "Jack was so shy and scared. He even fell on is third week. He just randomly tripped on, like, mid-air!" Jack had blushed at that and shook his head as he ducked it down in embarrassment.

-"You're the one that fell in love with yer secretary." Jack said. The other two made a loud 'Ooh' at that. Matthew rolled his eyes.

-"Stella wasn't that nice anyway.." He said. Jack laughed at that.

-"Well, let me tell ye. It was a little heartbreaking that I had to leave all of ye just to see my daughter, but it was worth it. And then it was heartbreakin' to leave the motherland." Jack said. Gwen patted his shoulder in sympathy.

-"oh I'm sorry.." Austin said with a sad smile.

-"nah nah, I was kinda excited to be back anyway..." Jack said with a shrug.

-"I.. don't think that's what he meant.." Gwen said. Jack looked at Austin who gave him a pitiful look.

-"Oh.. right.." was all the Irishman said as he cast his glance downward at his feet awkwardly before taking another gulp of wine, finishing his glass. His eyes fluttered momentarily as he cast his glance at the small drop left at the bottom of his glass awhile everyone shifted awkwardly in silence.

-"I-I didn't mean to--"

-"No no. It's fine. I'm not surprised that Mark told ye about the.. the shit his friend did.." Jack announced as he avoided everyone's gaze.

-"Oh.. so you don't blame him anymore?" Austin asked, his eyebrows rising slowly in surprise.

-"Of course not. It was my mistake tah accuse him." Jack said.

-"It was also your mistake to mention Meredith." Austin replied. Jack's eyes rose to meet his and he felt his strong façade breaking.

-"Low blow, asshole." Gwen muttered.

-"Sorry.." Austin mumbled as he looked down ashamed.

-"No... yer right. _I'm_ the real asshole.." Jack said, looking at his friend who stared at him shocked.

Suddenly, the door to the apartment opened and came a visibly shaken Stephanie who closed the door behind her slowly and carefully.

-"Hey, are you okay?" Matthew asked, immediately noticing his wife's mood. She looked at the doorknob for a couple seconds before turning around and walking slowly toward them, eyes focused intently on the ground in front of where her feet shuffled carefully.

-"Steph?" Gwen asked, setting down her glass and  turning to face the brunette fully.

-"I-I have news.." She said, voice slightly quavering. Everyone's attention was now turned toward the silent woman with concern and curiosity.

-"What's wrong?" Jack asked as he took a step forward.

The front door opened again and Mark came in looking scared for his life.

-"Mark?" Austin questioned as he walked briskly toward Stephanie and enveloped her for a hug.

-"Woah. Okay, What's going on?" Gwen asked, looking between the two that entered the apartment.

After a beat of silence, the larger men unwrapped his arms from her and looked at everybody with a serious expression.

-"Stephanie went to the hospital today, as you may know--"

-"She what?" Matthew cut in, confused by his wife's claimed actions.

-"Matthew, I'm pregnant." She said. Everyone stared wide-eyed at her.

-"What..." Gwen whispered.

-"But... what happened to the--"

-"The first one never died. We just assumed they died. But some... some.. weird mutation in my ovaries caused e to have another baby which basically brought the original baby back to life and--"

-"So you have twins?" Matthew asked as he felt his voice cracking slightly.

-"No.." she replied.

-"They're different ages..." Mark said as he looked at her with worry.

-"B-but that's not possible. How is that--"

-"We don't even know. It may have been something about my immortality." She said desperately, holding her husband's hands in fear.

-"Congratulations?" Austin asked.

 -"Um... you're front door is open" A blonde woman said as she marched in.

-"Oh. thanks for driving me." Mark said, shaking her hand. She shrugged.

-"it wasn't a problem." She said.

-"oh, this is London.. She's like my partner in crime and she's the one who found out." Mark said, introducing her.

Everyone nodded their heads and said hello except for Austin.

Who was staring at her and Mark wide-eyed.

-"Austin--"

-"We've never met...have we?" Austin asked her.

She shook her head.

-"No, but Mark's said a _lot_ about you.." She said with a chuckle. Then she tugged on the collar of her hospital coat. "Wow it's hot in here." she said,

-"No... it isn't" Austin said, narrowing his eyes at her. She looked at him confusedly before Mark noticed he clenched his fists.

-"You just met your soulmate.." Austin said. Gwen scratched at her neck suddenly and felt herself getting hot as well.

And then Stephanie started screaming in pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh.  
> haha...  
> did I do that? L M A O  
> ( ._.) Jk, I apologize...
> 
> [A/N] I AM SO SO SORRY ABOUT THE UPDATE.  
> OMG.  
> IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. SORRYYYYYY


	16. You Couldn't Handle... The Hot Heat Rising...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As confusion spreads after sudden events,
> 
> Gwen questions her sexuality after meeting her soulmate,
> 
> Austin and Mark have a heartbreaking conversation,
> 
> Stephanie fears her loyalty to Matthew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's ready to cry?
> 
> Warning!: One Or Two Homophobic Comments

-"Are you serious?" London asked, eyes wide with fear.

Gwen stood there, shocked as everyone else.

-"Wait.. what? B-but I'm not even--"

-"We know.." Jack said, shocked at the situation.

Stephanie began screaming loudly, clutching at her side as she began crumpling to the ground in pain.

-"Stephanie!" Matthew exclaimed as he kneeled down to catch her.

-"Oh god. I-it hurts!" She screamed as she covered her stomach with her hands.

-"Stephanie I need you to stand up. Try to stand up." Mark said as he shook off his coat and knelt next to the brunette man. She looked up at them both with a strained expression on her face as she blew out air rapidly to try and calm herself through the pain.

But the waves of pain washed over her periodically.

-"H-help. Please." She whispered as she began collapsing entirely.

-"What do we do?!" Gwen exclaimed as she waved her arms around erratically.

-"Fetch us some water and get a bedsheet." London said as she too, shook off her coat and kneeled next to the others.

-"Oh god. Help." She whimpered.

-"We're going!" The other three shouted as they ran frantically around the apartment.

Jack was running toward their bedroom and charged into the large room. He looked around and saw a couple of photos around the walls and on the nightstands.

Two on the wall of both of them standing in front of their presumable work places. Austin in front of a building with the sign referencing the building behind was where the attorney general he worked for was. Mark was standing in front of the sign of the Indianapolis Hospital.

The walls were a soft blue, the curtains were a light brown and the bedsheets/bed spread was a lime green with bright red and white pillows.

Jack's heart ached at the setting before he snapped his focus back into looking for a bedsheet. He dug around their closet (avoiding the snarl that rose in his throat seeing they shared a walk-in closet) and he found a spare bedsheet that he took and sprinted out to hand to the doctors.

-"I got it! I got it!" He exclaimed as he handed them the grey sheet. Austin had grabbed a large bowl of water and Gwen presumably stood there panicking.

-"Perfect. Lon, raise her head." Mark said as she did instructed. Everyone else was staring worriedly as the two doctors worked their magic and tried to make her pain less uncomfortable. Her screams echoed every so often which made Matthew flinch with each echo.

-"Ahh-- Ahh. Ow. Oh god. Oh.. god.." She exclaimed after they fixed her position with the bedsheet. She stopped her screaming momentarily and was panting heavily at the meantime.

-"Did it work? Did it help?" Matthew asked as he looked at them frantically.

-"We have to get her to a hospital is what we need to do." London said looking at them worriedly.

-"Or else wha--" Gwen began to ask before a sudden explosion resounded. A burst of red flushed their eyesight as Stephanie screamed in pain.

* * *

-"Gwen!" Jack exclaimed. She snapped her attention back into reality and noticed everyone staring at her with worry.

-"Are.. you okay?" Austin asked, raising an eyebrow.

She looked at them and she noticed London was also staring wide-eyed.

-"U-uh... what.. were you.. saying..?" Gwen asked.

-"..Ye just met yer soulmate." Jack said, placing a hand on her shoulder sympathetically.

-"Right.. okay.." She said, looking up to meet the blonde girl's eyes. "Alright.."

-"Are you sure you're alright?" Austin asked, persistent about her mental state.

-"I'm fine.." She replied.

-"The hell.." London said aloud. "I-I can't be gay! I'm not gay!" She exclaimed.

-"You're not gay.." Mark said. "You're lesbian."

-"Oh fuck you, Fischbach. Just because you have the man of your dreams. Oh... you also have Austin." London snapped.

Mark's eyebrows shot up in surprise before they contorted together. He looked at her angrily while she stood smugly. He began walking away and slammed the bedroom door in the process. Austin sighed and looked at her apologetically.

-"Whatever. You're fucking lying anyway." She said.

-"Why would I lie?" Austin said.

-"How would you know how it would be to find your soulmate anyway?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

-"I do research since we deal with cases like these consistently." He said, raising an eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes and scoffed.

-"Screw all of you." She said as she turned on her heel and slammed the door to the apartment.

Stephanie flinched and Matthew patted her back before pulling her into a hug.

They all parted from their positions at that, everyone doing something different. Whether it was cleaning wine glasses to just rearranging items in cabinets, they all moved along and avoiding the awkward tension.

-"I'm going to go sight-seeing." Gwen mumbled as she grabbed her wallet and made her way to the door.

-"I'll meet ye there, lemme go use the bathroom first." Jack said as he rushed to said location. Matthew and Stephanie waited by her and they announced they'd wait for him downstairs in the meantime, a muffled 'Okay' came back as they left.

Austin knocked on his bedroom door and heard a grunt.

-"Babe... it's me." Austin announced. He waited for a second, considering knocking again when the door opened slightly and he pushed through slowly.

Mark had taken off his coat and was left standing in a slightly tight white button up shirt that made his muscles look big underneath the slightly stretching material. His shoes were thrown haphazardly near the entrance that the blue-streaked main side stepped to. He plopped onto the bed and Austin sat on the side, sliding his hand across his back reassuringly.

-"Are you okay?" He asked. Mark let out another grunt and Austin assumed it was sarcastic or a flat out 'No.'

-"Just let me be.." He said, lifting up his head slightly to speak. Austin sighed and ruffled his hair. "Stop." he muffled into the bedsheet.

-"You know you like it." Austin chuckled. He groaned before rising fully and sitting beside Austin. They laid back down and intertwined their fingers momentarily.

-"Austin.. what am I going to do?" He said, his voice slightly saddened.

-"Go to work..." Austin said. He felt a smack against his shoulder which protruded a chuckle from the smaller man. "You're talking about Jack... aren't you?"

-"yeah..." he replied as he let out a breath. "..jack."

He chuckled. Saying his name after two years felt slightly relieving. But itleft a bitter taste in his mouth. A Bitterness he loved. 

-"You go back with him." Austin said as he turned his position to look at him.

-"What?" Mark asked, turning his head to see his lover had turned all together and was most possibly serious.

-"I mean it. I give you my consent. Go with him. Marry him. _Love_ him." Austin repeated. It was the pink-haired man's turn to turn his entire body to look at him.

-"Why..?" Mark asked, confused by his sudden confession.

-"Because. We're _all_ destined to meet and be with our soulmate." The younger man said, his eyes glistening with hope and philosophy. The same, bright hazel eyes that Mark had fallen for two years ago.

The same eyes that are giving him something to look for outside of this sanctuary for a city.

-"I can't. I shouldn't." Mark said, holding his hand. Austin let it slip through and placed them instead on the sides of Mark's face.

-"Yes. You have to--"

-"No, I don't!" He exclaimed as he sat up, maintaining eye contact. "is this because you don't love me anymore? Is this because you've met your soulmate--" Mark exclaimed before his skin became pale at the thought. "Oh god..you've met your soulmate haven't you--"

-"No no no no, babe.! I do love you. I do! It's just that--"

-"That what? that you've found somebody else? That you don't want this to continue? What could possibly have you want me away all of a sudden--!"

-"I JUST DON'T KNOW IF I'D STAY WITH YOU IF I FOUND _MY_ SOULMATE" Austin exclaimed as he sat up, looking at Mark with broken eyes. Tears were threatening to fall from his eyes.

-"What?" Mark deadpanned.

-"I'm not sure if I'd stay with you.." Austin repeated, his voice lower. "..if I found my soulmate.."

-"Oh.. Austin.." Mark said sympathetically as he pulled him into a hug. Austin felt a tear slide down his cheek and felt Mark tighten his grip.

-"Mark... we're not just talking about hopeless love anymore. We can't keep avoiding our soulmates." the tearing man said as they broke apart.

-"So.. you _have_ found your soulmate?" Mark asked. Austin shook his head.

-"No... not that I know of.." He said with a smile, wiping his stray tears.

-"Austin... I don't want to leave you.. especially after--"

-" _Don't_.... bring him up. This isn't about me. It's about _you_ " He said.

-"Austin.. this also has to do with you. We're talking about you after I leave. I can leave. I can, if that's what you want. But what will _you_ do?" Mark said, holding his hands in his own. Austin smiled at the gesture and met his eyes once more.

-"I'll be fine. I can go and find my soulmate if I have to. I will. eventually I will." Austin said with a smile. Mark looked at him with pity, his eyebrows pinched upwards.

-"I don't want to leave you.." Mark whispered.

-"you won't. We'll stay friends..." Austin replied as their foreheads connected softly. "And if you'd like... we _could_ have a threesome?"

Mark laughed at that, a tear strolling down his cheek softly. They closed their eyes as they enjoyed the sudden moment they were in.

-"Are you sure you want me to go?" Mark asked. Austin hesitated before he realized it was for the best of them.

-"yes." Austin whispered as he let the damn of tears break. He let the tears roll down his cheeks silently. Mark sobbed first before they fell into small, broken sobs as they began to hug.

-"Don't.. do anything stupid." Austin said as their sobs began to subside. Mark gave a wet laugh.

-"Don't be a stranger.." He replied. He felt his head nod against his shoulder. They parted their heads slightly before diving into a passionate kiss. Their tears slipped onto their mouths, giving it a salty wet addition to the kiss.

-"I love you, Austin.." He whispered.

-"I love you, Mark."

As they continued to hold each other before falling asleep in one another's arms, Jack kept his ear glued to the other side of the door. A tear slipping down his eye. He felt his phone buzz and saw a message from Gwen.

_G: Either you're taking the biggest dump in the world or you died._

Jack put his phone away before responding he had gotten caught up and made his way away from the door silently and leaving the apartment with a coat and wallet.

* * *

 

As they walked through downtown Indianapolis, Gwen was unloading all her questions and comments to her group of friends as they strolled toward the Veteran Memorial while eating ice cream. Jack was acting uneasy and quiet ever since they left the apartment, Matthew was as giddy as ever and Stephanie acted as normal as possible.

-"--But HONESTLY! I don't get why my soulmate is a _chick_ " Gwen exclaimed.

-"Be happy you at least _found_ your soulmate. There are people in this world who are dying to meet and love their own." Matthew said for the third time.

-"Like Austin?" Jack said, mortified of his sudden answer deep down.

-"yeah, exactly like Austin!" Matthew added, not noticing Jack's sudden shiver.

-"Well I'm glad I found mine.." Stephanie said as she leaned her head onto Matthew's shoulder.

-"Aww.. I'm glad I found mine too." He said, kissing her head.

-"Gee. Thanks for making me feel worse." Gwen said before Matthew flipped her off, a woman gasping and him apologizing explaining they were friends as they walked in the other direction.

Continuing their walk, Matthew changing the subject to his job, Stephanie couldn't help but dwell on the memory that still resurfaced.

* * *

_"Ms. Pattrick, you do realize that this could have catastrophic consequences to both children?" The doctor said. Stephanie nodded her head as she wiped away a tear._

_-"Yes... I know. God I'm a horrible to-be mother." She said, head falling onto her hands._

_-"Does.. your soulmate know?" The doctor asked sympathetically. She shook her head. "Does... the other man know?"_

_Stephanie raised her head slightly and looked at the doctor through blurry eyes, clouded from tears._

_-"Yeah.." she said, sniffling. "Well... My friend knows I'm carrying... Two seperate babies_ _.." She replied._

* * *

Stephanie felt a small movement in her stomach that made her giggle.

-"wow, are they kicking already?" Matthew asked, noticing her hand went to her stomach after her outburst. She shook her head with a smile.

-"It just felt funny. I don't think they're supposed to kick yet." She said. She glanced at Jack who was staring at her stomach with worry and a smile. They connected eyes and they gave each other small nods before she took her attention back to her husband, who was trying to feel her stomach which caused her to laugh.

* * *

_-"This.. 'Jack'.. is the father of the second child?" the doctor asked, clicking her pen._

_Stephanie shook her head._

_-"Well.. at least he_ will _be the father. The biological father is actually another friend of ours.." She said. The doctor looked at her expectantly._

_-"uhm.. I may need some information about him. Let's start with his full name?"_

_-"Yes, of course. His name is--"_

* * *

-"Ooh, someone's calling." Matthew said as he unlocked his phone and answered the call. "heyy, buddy!"

-"who is It?" Gwen mouthed from across the table in the restaurant they decided to walk into. Stephanie shrugged. Jack looked up from his menu to look at the other three before glancing back at his menu.

-"It's Jordan." Matthew said quickly before excusing himself from the table. Jack and Stephanie's head snapped up to meet each other wide-eyed.

-"Woah. What's wrong." Gwen said with a chuckle when she noticed the sudden movement from the both. "Did you like cheat on Matthew for him or something?" She said, before laughing. The other two joined the laughter, hiding how nervous they were.

* * *

_-" -- Jordan... Jordan Maron, is the real father's name." Stephanie said._

_The doctor took note and wrote it down before they continued with his information._

_-"very well,  tell me more about this...  Jordan.. "_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaanndd
> 
> now you can scream at me :)


	17. Baby, I'm Still Rising!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Austin and the other create a plan to get Mark and Jack together, an unexpected turn of events makes it go awry,
> 
> Gwen and London confront each other, but leaves a dreadful result.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO once again, The page reloaded on accident and more than half of it was deleted. I have really bad memory and I had to try and make a lot of detail and phrases, character points, etc to try and fit the guideline for the story.  
> So...  
> Yeah.
> 
> Let's play a game called GUESS WHO DIES

Stephanie entered the apartment to see everyone let out a sudden squeal and Austin to cover a bunch of papers they had spread out on the coffee table.

The brunette raised an eyebrow at everybody before pushing down something in her purse, zipping it up and leaving it on the coat rack they had. She walked towards them and gave Matthew a look that made him let out a sigh that meant he's given up on hiding whatever it was.

-"I think she should know.." Matthew said to the others there. They looked at ne another before staring at Stephanie warily.

-"Fine..." Gwen sighed, as she helped push Austin off the papers. The blonde woman grabbed a pillow cushion from the couch and set it on the ground next to her and Matthew and patted it with her hand, motioning for Stephanie to sit down and join them.

Stephanie sat down carefully and awaited for the others to explain as they gave one another careful glances.

-"I'm waiting..." She announced, looking at them with an unamused expression.

-"So basically... we have a plan..." Austin began before continuing with everything they had on the papers.

In summary, Austin explained how he was in class and came up with an ide to get Mark and Jack together and London and Gwen to sort their feelings altogether. He wrote it down in a series of papers so he wouldn't forget them and he went on about their plan to get them together. He decided to share with Gwen and Matthew since Mark was at work for the day and Jack was out grocery shopping for the dinner he was going to prepare for everyone that night.

-"So basically..." Stephanie said once they finished explaining, "we're Match makers."

Everyone shifted uneasily and uncomfortably at that.

-"Well... when you put it like that--"

-"She's right. We basically are playing as Match makers." Gwen said, interrupting Austin. "And I, especially, am okay with that. I think that it's good if London and I get our feelings sorted so I can go back to L.A. with no emotional attachments."

-"and I feel like we're just giving Mark a push to leave. He's worried about me and I feel like if he gets with Jack, it'll give him closure on what happened back then." Austin explained. He pursed his lips and gave her doe eyes that made her scream. On the inside.

-"Alright." Stephanie said, not being able to find anything to shut down their plan.

-"Perfect. So you're in?" Matthew asked, looking at her hopefully. She rolled her eyes and let out a sigh.

-"Yes, Matthew. I'm in.

She smiled at him with honesty even though she was hiding secrets of her own. As Mark had left in the morning, she left along with him to attend with their airport tickets. That wasn't entirely a lie, but it was not the full truth either. Jack and Gwen had an argument not too soon after they left, mostly from her shutting down his beliefs that she could be lesbian/bisexual/pansexual. She left with a string of curses and deep, cutting insults at him before leaving. He and Matthew worked from their computers for most of the day and Austin went to class and work.

Now, it was late afternoon and the front door opened at that moment revealing Mark holding it open for Jack to walk in, laughing at something one of them said as Mark chuckled.

-"Why Thank you, good sir." Jack mimicked a southern lady's accent and bowing.

-"My pleasure." Mark replied as they began laughing. They heard loud rustling behind them and turned to see everyone lounging lazily on the couches and floor. Mark felt like he saw a stack of papers under the couch but was blocked by Austin moving again and blocking the view.

-"oh, hey." Austin said casually. Everyone sat up and looked at them intently.

-"uh... hi?" Mark said, giving a small wave, confused by their sudden reactions. Everyone moved from there position.

Austin and Mark went to the bedroom, both talking about their day, Jack and Stephanie were in the kitchen pulling out all the groceries from the bags. He gave Gwen a look from the kitchen which caused her to scoff at him and turn around and go through her phone. Matthew stood idly, waiting for them to give him directions for making the food.

-"So what are you making?" Stephanie asked as she looked over at all the vegetables and ingredients spread throughout the counter.

-"Irish Stew." Jack said as he grabbed a potato and began washing it underneath the water to get rid of any grime and dirt. "It's a common food in Ireland, but me mum makes one of the best ones I've ever had."

Stephanie and Matthew were cutting vegetables along with him as they listened.

-" _One_ of the best?" Matthew asked, raising an eyebrow. "Than which _is_ the best?"

-"Mine." Jack said with a smirk as he cut a potato almost perfectly in half before he began chopping it expertly.

The only sounds left in the house were the chopping from the kitchen, occasional instructions from the Irishman, distinct conversation and giggles from Mark and Austin's room and some sounds coming from Gwen's phone as she went through 'SnapStories'.

* * *

-" _MMMM_ This is honestly amazing, Jack." Austin said through a moan as he dug his spoon back into the stew of vegetables and meats.

-" 'shank you" Jack replied through a mouthful. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement through the young man's words and continued eating.

-"God, if this is what Irish food tastes like, I'd want to freaking _live_ with you. This is probably the best food I've ever had in a long time." Matthew said. Gwen gave him a glare.

-"Uh, okay. Clearly my burritos weren't _that_ good then." The blonde girl said, rolling her eyes.

-"You literally shoved it into a microwave."

-"Yeah, but I made the meat and the chili and the beans." She protested.

-"Oky, okay, calm down." Mark said, scolding them lightly. Everyone broke into a small chuckle before they redirected their conversation to Austin.

-"So, how's school?" Stephanie asked, pushing away her empty plate.

-"Oh... it's fine. Just, got to get my exams out of the way in a couple of weeks."

-"Yeah, he studies really hard.." Mark added, looking at Austin lovingly. Gwen raised an eyebrow at Austin from across the small table and he pursed his lips.

-"I bet." Jack said, trying to hold back the venom in his voice. The table was oddly silent for a few seconds before Stephanie and Mark rose simultaneously, almost battling to get the table cleaned before they began doing the dishes.

-"It's my home, you're the guest." Mark had persisted before she cut him off.

-"Ah. Shh, Please, I have nothing else to do." She interjected as she began scrubbing a pot.

Mark sighed and stand beside her and made the process a lot easier by drying plates and rinsing them from the soap suds. As everyone cleared away to do something else, she looked at Mark who was very clearly thinking about something.

-"You alright?" She asked as she washed a bowl.

-"Me? Oh, it's nothing." He said, waving his hand dismissively at her. She raised an eyebrow before repeating her question. "It's just... well... I feel like Austin wants me to be with Jack. He believes in all this destiny with your soulmate crap but I'm a fan of not believing in it." Mark confessed.

-"I see what you mean, go on" She said as she listened and scrubbed.

-"And... ugh, I just don't want to have to choose. It hurts my brain..." Mark says as he dried another bowl. She looked at him softly before giving him a shrug and a small smile.

-"Then don't let your brain decide. Let your heart." She said sympathetically.

-"W-wait... what."  He asked, looking at her confused before she sighed.

-"Mark, you can't keep running from your soulmate. This isn't a game where you both have to beat one another in surviving. You've been through a lot and it's best if you just settle down."

-"But I did settled down. With --"

-"Austin, yeah. we get it. But we mean settle down for good. With Jack." Stephanie persisted, praying this talk was helping convince him a little more in the right direction. Mark had stopped drying altogether and looked at her once, slight fear emanating from his eyes before turning solid.

-"Yeah... yeah, I think you're right.." he said before he kept drying dishes. She smiled at him before continuing to scrub the dishes, a thought tugging at the back of her mind:

_But who am I to talk?_

* * *

Mark had slowly entered the apartment cautiously, confused of the sudden events that happened. First, he got a call from Austin about how he was doing and etcetera before he asked Mark out of the blue when he'd be home. Which rarely happened unless it was really late. Then, he found a note in his box in the hospital call room that basically instructed him to go home after his next assisting surgery. Which was odd.

Then, he saw that there  was a bundle of roses in the elevator with his name on them.

Now, he stood in his apartment with a bundle of roses he didn't even know were for.

-"Matthew is that you?" Jack called out as he appeared from the bathroom and saw Mark standing there with roses. Their eyebrows scrunched up in unison at seeing one another.

-"Uh... hi?"

-"Hey.." Jack greeted awkwardly. He slowly stepped into the living room where Mark was standing when they saw a flicker from the corner of their eyes and saw some candles suddenly light up on the table in the kitchen where a large bowl was upside down, silver, and there was a tablecloth and plates, cutlery and wine. The y walked toward it warily as they saw the small notecards on each plate with the words **Stay Here** on them.

-"Did you.. set this up?" Mark asked curiously. Jack shook his head and looked at the small set-up in the small kitchen.

-"Did.. you?" Jack asked, knowing the answer already. Mark shook his head, eyebrow raising in confusion. "Then who did?"

-"I.. I don't know." Mark said, raising the small bowl and revealing a pizza, chicken wings and two bright blue drinks.

-"Wine and mixed drinks?" Jack said aloud, looking at Mark quizzically.

-"I didn't do it." Mark said, raising his hands in the air in mock surrender.

Jack looked at the food before shrugging and taking a seat and grabbing a slice. Mark raised an eyebrow at him with a smile growing on his face absentmindedly.

-"It could be poisoned... you know that, right?" Mark said as he also sat on the other end of the table.

-"Sho?" Jack said as he chewed on the pizza. Mark chuckled before he dove into the pizza as well. They ate in an awkward silence since the candles and the set-up was almost romantic.

-"So... how was work?" Jack asked, breaking the awkward silence. Mark looked at him before shrugging with a small smile.

-"Work is work. It was actually less hectic today than usual. I had two surgeries, one lasted three hours, I took a nap and got to help Bob on the emergency care floor. We had twelve patients to handle, one of them had a psychological breakdown and started shouting out the Pi sequence." Mark said as he stopped eating just to tell the Irishman about his day. Jack listened intently before chuckling a little.

-"That's an _easy_ day?" Jack asked, laughing a little. Mark shrugged with a careless smile.

-"It's what I do." he said, smiling at Jack. The Irishman nodded his head before he decided to get into the chicken wings, Mark joining soon after to try the other food.

-"Hmm. This is actually really good." Jack said as he dropped the first bone. Mark nodded his head and hummed in agreement.

-"You know what else is really good?" Mark says with a smirk.

-"Yer tiny cock?" Jack replied. Mark chuckled in amusement and sat back in his chair.

-"I'll have you know, it's--" Mark began to rebut before he accidentally knocked over his glass and reached down to catch it with amazing reflexes. Some of the wine within the glass slipped out, but the rest had skillfully swished around and stayed within it's confinement. "Shit." Mark cursed as he grabbed a series of napkins to handle the spilt drink.

Jack knelt down and inspected it before grabbing his own napkins and helping him clean.

-"No no, you don't have to." Mark pleaded. Jack kept helping then tossed the soaked napkins in the nearby trash can. Jack turned almost run into Mark who was standing behind him to throw his own napkins. Jack tilted his head slightly upward to meet his eyes through the glasses.

 _Since when is he taller?_ Jack wondered. Looking into the eyes, he felt a spark course through him that made his heart quicken.

Mark looked at Jack sincerely, their faces slowly drawing together.

-"Uh.. sorry." Mark suddenly said, drawing back and squeezing his eyes. "I-I shouldn't give you mixed signals. I'm sorry." he tossed the napkins into the trash can and began to turn around before Jack gripped his hand.

-"Mark... it's no surprise that ar' friends planned this. But... we shu' just.. honestly.. let it happen." Jack explained with a shrug. Mark looked at him with sincerity before he shook his head.

-"I-I shouldn't leave Austin like this.." Mark said.

-"Mark... I know that he's okay with it." Jack confessed, causing Mark's eyes to snap to meet his own.

-"W-what?"

-"I heard you guys on accident..." Jack explained, "and I just want you to know it's alright."

-"Jack.." Mark began to plead.

-"Mark, we came to get ye. It was either come for you or stay with you." Jack said. "And I'd rather have ye come back with me.."

-"But Jack... I-it's just not my home anymore. Not after Sam--" Mark began to say before stopping himself. Jack took a breath and felt his damn of tears begin to crack.

-"I know..." Jack said. "But.. I've dealt with it. Why can't you?"

There was silence for a minute between the both of them.

Mark shifted uneasily as Jack flicked his eyes anywhere but his sudden gaze.

-"Jack?" Mark said.

Jack kept searching around his field of vision as he replied with a hum.

-"Jack, please look at me." Mark said again. Jack kept avoiding it. " _Jack._ " Mark demanded with a deeper tone.

Finally, the Irishman's icy blue eyes flicked up to meet the soft brown ones that stared at him with that _look_ he always gave him.

-"I don't know what to do..." Mark said hopelessly. He took a step towards Jack, randomly giving off intimidation that scared Jack. His butt felt against the table and Jack's hand skidded along the table to search for an object.

-"I c-can't decide but I feel like you should come with us." jack said nervously. Mark looked at Jack with confusion.

-"Jack... are you okay?" Mark asked, walking towards him more. Jack finally found the object he wanted.

-"I-I don't know... are you?" Jack asked, defensively. He felt his breath starting to shorten and his brain had thoughts swimming around his head.

-"Jack..?" Mark said, "what's wrong? Are you having an anxiety attack?" Mark asked as he watched him start shaking violently.

-"G-get away from me.." Jack said, voice quivering nervously.

 _What's going on with me?_ Jack discreetly wondered.

Then he suddenly lost the ability to control his unprecedented actions.

* * *

-"I'm here.." London said, sitting down across from her. She crossed her legs and arms and looked at her raising an eyebrow.

Something about London radiated forms of superiority, delicateness and flat-out bitchiness. She seemed like the person you wouldn't mess around with.

-"So, how are you?" Gwen asked, trying to lighten the suddenly dense mood.

-"cut your crap and tell me why I'm here." She said, bored of her antics already after one sentence. Gwen cleared her throat and loosened her clutch on the cup of frozen yogurt slightly less.

-"Listen, I just want to know where we stand. I leave the day after, and I want to make sure I can leave with a clearer conscious." Gwen said. London raised an eyebrow before uncrossing her legs, but keeping her arms in close contact as she leaned them against the small table.

-"I'm not lesbian. I mean there was that one time, but I was merely drunk. So now that I know that my soulmate is actually a girl, it definitely makes me want to kill you and avoid you altogether. It's cruel to say this, but I'd rather live forever without my soulmate than be stuck with a girl." London said. Gwen nodded her head and did her best to avoid the sudden stab of pain it sent to her heart.

-"Alright." Gwen said.

-"Stay safe on your flight." London said carelessly before she stood up to leave.

Gwen said a simple 'Thank You' as she left. Gwen began to dig into her frozen yogurt a little more before she felt something lightly tap her foot. She looked down to see a glittery peach nail polish on the ground. She cursed and picked it up. She looked out the window and saw London walking out, letting out a breath to the icy cool air. Gwen stood up and walked outside with her cup of dessert nd the nail polish in different hands.

-"Hey!" Gwen called out.

She didn't seem to hear her, or she was just ignoring her.

-"London!" She exclaimed again. London turned to see her before rolling her eyes and looking back in front of her as she continued walking down the empty sidewalk.

Clouds had gathered outside which left a soft blue and grey color in the sky and around the small block of stores and buildings. Gwen marched faster to reach her. London was looking at both sides of the street, willing to jaywalk to get across and avoid the darer blonde.

-"Dude you left your nail polish!" Gwen exclaimed as she caught up to her as she placed one foot off the curb.

-"Oh my god! Shut the fuck up! Don't you get it, I'm not into you! Go away!" London exclaimed, not hearing Gwen's words.

-"Calm down.. damn, I just-- Hey! I'm trying to tell you something!" Gwen began explaining before she walked away again. Gwen grabbed the sleeve of her sweater and was dragged along after they crossed the street and a small but audible tear rang through the silent air.

London turned on her heel, her face showing very clearly she was pissed off.

-"You did not... just.." London warned. Gwen let go of her sleeve in fear, her hands in mock surrender. Then the blonder woman's eyes flicked to see her nail polish in Gwen's hands.

-"Did you _take my nail polish?!_ " She exclaimed. Gwen's eyes widened.

-"N-no! It fell out of your bag!" Gwen pleaded.

-"Oh yeah right! Jesus Christ, what's up with you? You bring me to some yogurt shop to make me feel slightly less irritated since it's a calm environment just to tell me that _you_ want a clearer conscious before you leave?" She snapped, voice rising after each sentence.

-" You honestly didn't have to come--"

-" _AND THEN_ you steal my _goddamn nail polish?!_ " London shouted. Gwen raised her eyebrows at her.

-"You are so... dramatic." Gwen mumbled.

-" _Ugh!_ Just give me it." She snapped.

Gwen scoffed and tossed the nail polish to her. But even though they had only five feet between them, London still couldn't catch it and it dropped onto the sidewalk, breaking. The small liquid flowed from the small broken glass container and London's face was _livid_.

-"You have a fucking death sentence.." she hissed.

Gwen's phone suddenly rang and she turned around to answer it with her free hand.

-"Hello?"

-" _So how's it going?_ " Austin said through the phone. She sighed.

-"Oh you know, she clarified she doesn't want a relationship and she's being slightly overdramatic." Gwen mumbled the last bit.

-"Are you fucking kidding me? You're calling somebody after you stole _and_ broke my nail polish?!" She exclaimed in the background.

-" _So all is going well?_ " He said sarcastically with a chuckle.

-"Oh my god. Give me that," London said, snatching the phone right from Gwen's hands.

-"Excuse you!" Gwen exclaimed before she threw her phone into the street. Thank god she had a protective case. "That was my phone!" Gwen exclaimed, turning around and staring at her bewildered. "Look, I didn't take your damn nail polish! I simply picked it up and brought it to you, and it's not my fault you cannot catch for shit."

-"Oh please. You think I'm going to believe that?" London snapped. Gwen's head stuck out forward and flicked her wrist, palm upward, right underneath her chin and narrowed her eyes.

-"Are you fucking stupid or something?" Gwen said before fixing her posture. "You're being so over dramatic!"

-"Says you who wants a 'clearer conscious'." The other woman replied. Gwen narrowed her eyes and let out a frustrated huff.

-"You threw my phone in the goddamn street." Gwen said, looking back at her phone then back at London.

-"Then go fucking get it." London said before giving her a shove. Gwen would have been fine if she hadn't been the one closer to the curb.

Her footing was lost as she didn't expect one to land farther down than expected which led to her tipping backwards.

One loud car honk later and an unexpected scream later, Gwen's frozen yogurt flew into the air before landing into a small puddle of blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THAT PLOT TWIST CAME IN LIKE A WREEEECKING BALLLL


	18. I Was Running... You Were Walking...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an unexpected turn of events in two different locations in beloved Indianapolis, 
> 
> Austin and Matthew race to both locations to try and control and handle the situation,
> 
> meanwhile, Stephanie has her own agenda that jeopardizes her marriage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the last chapter that has a plot twist.  
> I hope.  
> And you may have also noticed there is a final limit for the chapters which means, yes, this story is coming to a close as I have to start working on the Zombie Apoc. AU.
> 
> So enjoy this dramatic and tearing chapter.

-"So how's Gwen doing?" Matthew asked after Austin hung up with many questions.

-"I don't know... I think that London threw her phone." Austin replied.

-"Huh..." Matthew replied, his eyebrows shooting up in wonder.

-"So all is well?" Stephanie asked sarcastically.

-"That's what I said.." He replied with a chuckle.

They were currently at the diner that Austin and Mark had met in, CJ bounded up to them notepad ready.

-"Ready to order?" She asked cheerily.

-"I'll have the usual.." Austin said with a smile.

-"I'll get the... philly cheese steak" Matthew said, handing her the menu.

-"The chicken nuggets..." Stephanie said.

-"uh huh, the five piece, ten piece or twenty piece? Might I remind you, however, that these aren't just McDonald's nuggets, these nuggets are about the size of your hand." Cj said, referencing to said body part. Stephanie ordered the twenty. "alright, I'll be right out with that folks."

Austin looked at the happy couple, Matthew feeling her stomach softly as she marveled at him cooing at it. He felt his heart tug for that sensation with Mark... but he couldn't. He needed to be strong for both of them, no matter what is the result after tonight. Austin promised himself that he stay as friends with him and move on.

Besides... what was the worst that could happen this night?

* * *

-"SOMEBODY CALL AN AMBULANCE, NOW!!!" London shouted to the people gawking and screaming in the street. "God fucking damnit if you just never stole my nail polish.." She muttered as she checked for Gwen's pulse. She felt a small steady heartbeat, but not enough to make it alive without the proper medical help she needed.

-"They're on their way!" a teenage girl shouted with her group of friends as they frantically spoke to the emergency speaker.

-"TELL THEM TO HURRY!" London shouted back. The teenage girl continued speaking, demanding for immediate help.

-"I-I didn't even see her! I just saw her suddenly there and,-- oh god... I'm responsible if she dies... aren't I?" A taxi driver said, hands behind his head in anxiety. London wanted to blame him, but even she knew she was the cause of this.

-"Let's just hope she doesn't die then..." London said. Something in her heart was slowly tearing, like a piece of her soul was being lost. Like her soulmate...

-"I see the lights in the distance" a teenage boy from the group of kids. London turned her head to her the small siren in the distance and the lights flashing from afar.

-"Fuck fuck fuck, c'mon don't you die on me yet, idiot." she mumbled as she tried lifting her head up gingerly. The paramedics were diverting their way through traffic, but the pulse was slowly declining with each passing second.

* * *

-"Woah, hello. Somebody's calling." Matthew said as he reached in his pocket for his phone and saw it was Jack calling. "Hello?"

-" _M-matpat?_ " Jack's wavering voice said. Matthew's eyebrows knit together.

-"Uh, yeah. What's up?" He asked.

-" _I-I think I killed Mark..._ " he whispered. Matthew's eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up.

-"Woah, woah. Hold up. You what?"

-" _I-I said I think that I... oh... oh god he's comin' after me. OH GOD MATTHEW HEL--_ " Jack shouted into the phone before he hung up. Stephanie wiped her fingers before looking at him questioningly.

-"Uh... I think Mark and Jack aren't having a pleasant time right now..." Matthew said as he put his phone away. Then it rang again and he groaned as he pulled it out to answer.

-" _Is this Matthew Patrick speaking?_ " a woman asked.

-"Yes... this is Matthew Patrick speaking." He replied.

He was listening to the women with enough attention to hear what she said before he dropped his sandwich that was in one hand back on the plate in shock.

-"Everything alright?" Austin asked, raising an eyebrow.

-"Can we get some boxes?" Matthew suddenly said to CJ who nodded her head and went back to fetch them.

-"Matthew, we haven't even finished out food--"

-"Gwen needs our help." He said to her as he hung up. "She's been in a terrible accident and we need to go get her, now!"

-"Woah woah, are you serious?" Austin asked.

-"You guys go handle the situations and I'll get our food." Stephanie said. Matthew nodded his head after making sure she was alright with that before both men sprinted out of the restaurant. Stephanie took out her wallet to pay and out came the plane ticket she bought for herself.

She stared down at the plane ticket with slight worry and guilt. She realized this was her chance, her only chance since Matthew swarmed around her because of the babies. Once CJ brought the boxes and helped her pack the meals, taking the credit card and handing it back to her. She placed the boxes of leftover food into the plastic bag she was handed.

-"Where's the nearest airport?" Stephanie asked, CJ turned around and gave her directions innocently, not thinking about it. After she left, CJ suddenly gasped and turned to see her already hailing  cab.

-"God fucking dammit" she cursed.

* * *

 

Austin was driving in a taxi that halted and he handed him money before sprinting out and running up their apartment building. He bolted through the brightly lit lobby and went for the staircase. He took two steps at a time as he ran up the two floors to reach theirs. Once he finally made it to their floor, he threw open the door and went straight for his number. He knocked on the door repeatedly before ringing the doorbell a few times.

-"Mark? Jack?" Austin called out. He twisted the doorknob, dumb enough not to realize it was unlocked for some reason. He entered the house easily and gasped at what he saw two steps into the home.

There was a knocked over lamp, the couch was flipped over and littered with multiple tears. He saw a few photos that hung from the wall on the ground, some shattered and some intact, the coffee table had a large crack going through it, he examined the large glass table wearily and noticing blood splatters littering it.

Speaking of, he noticed large amounts of blood scattered from the living room to the kitchen.

The Kitchen.

The table was standing upright, but there was shards of glass all over the place and some remaining food thrown on the floor, one of the candles was knocked over and no longer aflame, however the other was standing upright and still providing light. Austin saw a remainder of a shoe left on the ground, blood smearing nearly three-quarters of it. Austin almost gagged. He saw that a butter knife was on the ground with small remnants of blood on cutting edge of it. Austin's eyes were widened and he was on high alert, somebody must have broken in.

Unless...

He heard a small grunt from the bedroom and he dashed inside to find it in an equal mess as the rest of the house.

The bathroom door was ajar with scratches along it, light pouring in from there and lighting up the dark room. Two picture frames were on the ground, neither shattered. The nightstand for Mark's side of the room was knocked over and the lamp came down along with it. There was another stray shoe by the bathroom along with blood coming from the said area.

-"AUSTIN!" Mark yelped as he noticed him standing there in shock and horror. He turned his gaze to his beloved and saw Jack on top of him, a kitchen knife in his hand as he tried stabbing Mark's neck. Mark's arms were holding back jack's hand, but the Irishman had surprising strength against him.

-"Mark! Jack!" Austin shouted. Jack flicked his eyes to meet Austin's.

They were scared, like a wild animals would be if under attack.

-"Jack?" Austin asked, the green-haired man jumped off of Mark and placed the knife against Austin's neck threateningly.

-"H-he's trying to kill me, Austin. D-don't ya see it? H-he's the crazy one. A-are you crazy? A-are you going t-tah kill me?" Jack stuttered out nervously. Austin was frightened and dared not to move or speak. "TALK TO ME , DAMMIT."

-"N-no. W-we're not crazy. J-jack you're having an anxiety attack. T-this isn't you. You need to-to breathe, okay? Breathe with me..." Austin said. Jack looked at him with continuous fear in his eyes.

Jack followed his ragged breaths, slowly calming down and releasing the grip on the knife. Jack let out a large breath and stepped back completely. The blue-streaked man placed a hand on his throat to feel there was small bloody residue on it.

-"Are you okay?" Mark asked, hand on his shoulder. Jack nodded his head and he turned to hug Mark.

-"God I don't know what tha hell happened. I'm so sorry Mark. That's never happened to meh before." Jack said. Mark slowly wrapped his arms across jack's back as well and pulled him closer into the hug. Austin found it adorable. Then he realized the mess they had to clean up.

-"Okay, c'mon. You guys need to help me clean up the mess you made..." Austin said with a chuckle. Mark looked up at him with saddened eyes. He nodded his head slowly.

-"Thank you..." Mark whispered as they exited the room, Jack starting with the mess in the living room. Austin looked at him confused for a second.

-"For what?"

-"For giving me up.." Mark said. Austin smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

-"I did it cause I care..." he replied softly. Mark smiled at him before they walked out of their once shared bedroom.

Jack was looking at the mess they made and he slowly whimpered at each thing he saw.

Apparently, Jack had lashed out first and struck a large slash against Mark's chest with the butter knife, causing Mark to fall to the ground and hit his head on the table, knocking over one of the candles and Jack had freaked out and threw the food off the table as he scrambled across from the unconscious Mark. He ran into the living room and freaked out, not knowing whether or not to tell somebody and decided he'd call Matthew. Then, Mark had stormed at Jack with a kitchen knife and missed him multiple times to strike the couch. they wrestled for a minute before Jack slammed Marks's head onto the coffee table as he made  a break for the bathroom, and called him there before Mark stormed in since he forgot to lock the door and they wrestled again in the bedroom.

And then Austin walked in.

-"I can't believe that happened... I am so sorry.." Jack whispered once they finished with the living room and kitchen and began with the bathroom.

Jack wiped away at the blood that he shared with Mark as Mark had gotten him once and twice with the knife at his leg and his jaw. That was going to scar badly. Mark stood behind him and slowly helped him stand up when he finished, Jack's hips were held in place by Mark as he stood up.

-"Hey.." Jack said, there faces next to each other. Mark smiled.

-" Hi.." he said.

-"okay lovebirds, calm down." Austin said with a chuckle. Mark let go of him and they continued with the bedroom.

They continued their work, ignoring that the clock had read **9:57 PM** and that it was pretty late anyway.

-"So... something happened with Gwen.." Austin said as Mark checked his phone and scrunched his eyebrows.

-"I was being called for work.." Mark suddenly said. then jack entered the bedroom, now cleaned up, and looked at him with color drained from his face.

-"She's in the hospital... and..." he deadpanned.

* * *

-"Fuck.." Matthew whispered as he looked at Gwen's pale face being pulled into the doors of the hospital. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at London with a worried expression.

-"Sir, your friend will be alright. You're lucky that Dr.--"

-"Call me London, Nate." She interrupted. He nodded his head.

-"That she was there." then they wheeled her off farther into the hospital.

London and Matthew stood there in the entrance of the hospital. He looked worriedly at the direction his friends had just went in.

-"What did happen, by the way?" Matthew asked. She turned to face him before dropping her head slowly.

-"I... I assumed she took my nail polish.. when I dropped it and I.. may have pushed her in front of a car.." she confessed, sadness filling her voice.

-"What?" Matthew asked, bewildered.

-" I know, okay. I accidentally may have went over the line over--"

-"Yeah! You did! you're basically the reason she's going to die!" Matthew shouted in her face, causing a few faces to turn.

-"No I'm not! Don't say that--!"

-"NO CAUSE YOU _ARE_ THE REASON SHE'S ABOUT TO DIE."

-"WELL IT;S NOT MY FAULT SHE'S ACCUSING ME OF BEING A LESBIAN. AND SHE CAME UP TO ME TALKING ABOUT HAVING SOME STUPID CLEARER CONSCIOS BEFORE SHE LEFT." She shouted back.

-"You threw her in front of a fucking CAR cause you THOUGHT that she stole some stupid _nail polish!_ " Matthew growled out as he grabbed her coat and slammed her against a wall.

-"Hey! Let go of the doctor!" a nurse shouted as he ran up to them and pulled away Matthew forcefully. "Should I call security or should he leave?"

London gave him a once over before shaking her head and crossing her arms over her chest.

-"Please show him to the door." She said, giving him a superior look. Matthew shook his head, anger fueling through him.

-"Just know that _yo_ _u'll_ be responsible for her death after you pushed her in front of a car because of being overdramatic." he gritted through his teeth as he walked away, shrugging his coat back on. Her mouth opened slightly and her confident face turned into one of crippling realization. He let out a disapproving huff at her as he walked away.

-"Don't let him bother you. I'm sure you did nothing wrong." the nurse said before walking away. She stood there, looking at where Matthew was walking out of the sliding doors and felt a tear beginning to slip out of her eye.

Matthew walked out into the fresh, cool air. He gave himself a relaxation technique to calm himself before he looked up at the night sky with a sigh. He checked his phone and saw that the clock read **9:57 PM.** He let out a breath, feeling small exhaustion crash onto him. He decided to call for Stephanie but got not answer, curiously he texted her.

**M: You okay?**

He stashed his phone back into his pocket and felt it buzz twice minutes later. He opened it to see one text and a voicemail.

_S: Please Listen to the voicemail..._

Matthew, confusedly, opened the voicemail and dialed his password before waiting.

_-"Matthew... if you're listening to this now then I'm just going to warn you now. It's too late to come and stop me._

_And before you go off and immediately assume I've killed myself or aborted the babies... well... I haven't._

_Mat, it's been amazing knowing you. You're a great guy and... and you've been there for me. I've never been so happy to meet you. I'm so glad we got married and that we..._

_that we're going to have a child but..._

_The only reason I've literally had a mutation was because... because I've slept with somebody else. It was supposed to be nothing and it wasn't._

_Our first baby died but... but the second one apparently brought it back to life. I don't eve_ _n know how that happened. Nothing can explain that. But Matthew... the second baby isn't yours... it's Jordan's. I wanted to tell you so many times but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was originally going to live with Austin here in Indianapolis before I gave birth to your child. Then I'd give him to you and then I'd come back and live with Jordan's. I've already talked to Austin about it and when he made this whole plan to get mark and jack back together that was when I knew I had to do this. I changed my flight. I'm literally about to board the plane and I'm going to move out of our house. Then I'm coming right back the same day you guys get here..._

_Matthew Patrick this is not me saying goodbye. We'll keep in touch. I just... I just need some time to handle with this..._

_Jordan cannot know. He shouldn't. Jack already promised me he'd make sure you don't lose it. I honestly hope you can respect my decision..."_

_-" **Flight #387 for Los Angeles is boarding..."**_

_-"Oh.. god... it's time for me to go. Matthew, I'm really sorry. eventually... we'll get back together and die together. But I just need sometime... please give me it. I love you.."_

Matthew lowered the phone from his ear after it ended. He had tears slipping from his eyes and leaving a trail down his face. He pocketed his phone and ran his hands into his hair and tangled them there. He let out a scream of despair and frustration before falling to his knees and crying.

He let out heartbreaking wails as he sat there in front of the hospital, a nurse was watching him from her spot and looked over at her companion.

-"Should we tell him?" She asked. The other nurse shook his head and they continued staring at Matthew for a few seconds before walking over to break the news.

Then he broke into more tears.

* * *

-" _Flight #387 for Los Angeles is boarding..._ " a voice on the intercom announced.

Stephanie hurried with her words before hanging up and sending the voicemail. She texted Matthew to listen to it before she grabbed her suitcase and began walking toward the stewardess.

-"Oh, are you pregnant?" the woman asked. Stephanie nodded her head with a soft smile, wiping away a stray tear.

-"Yes... I am.." she replied as she handed her ticket to her. The woman gave her a smile as she walked along.

She walked slowly into the airplane and chose a seat next to a window, a man sat next her.

-"ma'am, are you alright?" he asked her. She wiped away tears that formed and she nodded her head.

-"i'm fine... just.. regretting my decision." she said. The man let out an appreciative huff.

-"Yeah.. sometimes.. we make wrong decisions for the best reasons, am I right?" He said with a smirk. She nodded her head with a laugh.

-" yeah... I guess so.." she whispered to herself as she saw the plane slowly backing out. The stewards gave mandatory instructions on what to do in case of emergencies and she slightly tuned them out as he began to turn off her phone.

The time read before the screen went off was **9:57 PM.**

And then their plane took off for Los Angeles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to kill me, I understand...


	19. You Couldn't Keep Up... Now You're Falling Down...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But is there really a calm after the storm?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I CRIED.  
> OKAY, I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY THIS CHAPTER.  
> NOT REALLY CUZ YALL WILL PROBS CRY TOO BUT IT'S OKAY IF YOU DON'T

-"W-when did she die?" Jack asked. The nurses looked down at their clipboards.

-"Nine fifty seven pm." one said. Jack nodded his head as he let the shock and dread fill him.

Jack looked behind him and saw everyone else staring at him with sincere sad eyes. He looked at the nurse who spoke and he gave them a small nod before walking away. As he walked away, he passed by a room full of people and a small boy laying on the bed with his eyes closed. There was a woman crying on his arm, sobbing uncontrollably as a man rubbed his hand against her back. A few other people, much younger than Jack were staring at the boy in the bed with saddened eyes, one girl and another boy. The girl turned and hugged the boy next to her as he silently cried into his shoulder. She opened her eyes for a second and focused on Jack before he walked away.

He trudged along in the hospital, legs like lead, and a head heavier than the grief that filled him. Jack heard the encouraging words of his friends ringing in the background like a dramatic soundtrack in an action movie. Overlooked. Commonly ignored.

Jack didn't realize he had walked out of the hospital, into the night filled with sirens and cars driving by. A car zoomed in and stopped in front of the hospital and Jack, a group of people ran out and dragged a limp body from the car, all of them looking scared and high out of their minds. An Asian looking woman looked at Jack with sad eyes.

-"I told her that I had a feeling tonight was going to be bad" she whispered as she pushed a strand of hair from the, most probably, overdoses woman.

The other people shouted at her and she ran back into the car and drove away. Jack and a few other people were standing around the body and the workers started to hurry along and carry him away. Jack stood stoic, seeing as they took her away.

The Irishman felt a hand on his shoulder and someone speaking.

-"... Sir, I asked if you were alright?" the doctor asked, looking at him with worry. Jack shifted his gaze from where the girl just was to meet the doctor's eyes.

-"Y-yes... I'm fine.." he said, voice slightly scratchy. The doctor nodded his head once before returning into the hospital. Jack looked back down at the ground and stared at the area where she just was.

He let out a shaky breath.

-"Jack?" Matthew said, sitting on the curb farther away from Jack. He walked over and sat down next to him.

-"I-Is this... real?" Jack asked. Matthew looked at him before shrugging.

-"I-I am so... so.. sorry..." the brunette whispered. Jack shook his head.

And then.

He felt it.

He felt the sudden grief.

The wave of despair that he didn't expect. The overwhelming sensation of the news has finally taken it's rising toll on him. He felt it.

It kills him.

-"Sh... sh sh shh..." Matthew hushed as he patted his back.

-"I-I don't g-get it!" Jack sobbed as he clawed into Matthew. "Why did she have t-to go! Why?!"

-"I-I don't kn-know Jack. I just don't... know..." He replied as he felt the tears returning. He hugged Jack into him as he sobbed uncontrollably. "I lost a friend too, jack. It's okay.."

-"But she- b-but she was one of m-my closest friends!" Jack sobbed, his face in a full red as he cried. "I can't lose her. I-I shouldn't lose her! I don't w-w-want to!"

-"Jack... I don't want her to go either.." Matthew whispered as he silently wept. He didn't know of which 'her' he was talking about. Stephanie... or Gwen.

-"I c-can't believe it! I don't want to believe it!" he shouted.

-"Neither do I.. oh god.. neither do I.." Matthew whispered.

They were hugging, sobbing and weeping together on the curb right in front of the hospital, in the parking. Their friends were watching heartbreakingly from in front of said building.

-"I can't believe it.." Austin said, looking at the two crying. Mark shook his head.

-"I barely knew her... but I knew how close she and Jack were..." Mark said. "I know what it's like.... losing someone as close as she was to him..."

-"Are you talking about..." Austin said, looking at him cautiously.

-"Meredith... yeah..." Mark whispered. They were standing on the side, watching sadly.

-"Where's Stephanie?" Austin asked, looking around for the woman. Mark shrugged.

 The other men's cries subsided after a good few minutes, but to Mark it felt like it lasted a damn near eternity. They had to watch them mourn their good friend through tears. The tears that fell from Jack's cheeks were almost similar to those of the nights Mark had endured when he first met the other man. They were heartbreaking.

-"C-can I... talk to you guys about something?" London asked behind them, almost startling the silence around them.

-"Sure... what is it?" Mark asked, looking at her with slight concern.

-"I.. saw what happened and... and I just... oh god... It's my fault she.. she died.." London said as she tried talking past the tears. Austin cocked his head in confusion whereas the taller man walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her.

-"Oh Lon, I'm sure it isn't your fault. It was just a matter of buying time and we ran out too soon.." he replied , the same way doctors would tell the paramedics. She shook her head and stepped away from him.

-"No, I literally mean that I'm the reason she's dead. I pushed her in front of that car." London said, looking at him with fear. And she had every right to since his face changed from pitiful to shocked.

-"E-excuse me?" he said, not believing what he had just heard.  She repeated herself and Mark clenched his fists instinctively.

Austin placed a hand on his chest and made them step away from her as she began to cry as well. Mark was shaking his head and pure rage filling him as they walked away.

-"That bitch. That... fucking... BITCH" Mark muttered as they walked away.

-"Mark. Calm down. She's not worth it." Austin said, trying to ease away his sudden anger.

-"She's the reason Jack's hurt. I-I can almost feel Jack's sadness. She killed an innocent person for no reason and... and she's taken away Jack's closest friend.." Mark said, looking down at Austin who gave him a sad expression.

-"Mark, go and comfort him. Be the soulmate... you want to be." Austin suddenly said. Mark looked at him before nodding his head slowly and turning to see Jack and Matthew under a streetlight in the parking, holding each as their tears stopped cascading down their faces.

-"You're right... thank you.." Mark said as he began walking toward them with not too much confidence in his step. As the blue-streaked man watched him go, he turned his gaze to see the blonde woman walk back inside with tears slipping from her eyes. He shook his head in disgust.

* * *

It was a beautiful day to have a funeral.

Oddly sad, but true. And by beautiful, not in the sense that the day was cloudy and very cliché, but beautiful in the sense that it was sunny. The sun was going down the horizon and they were all sitting in their lawn chairs as they heard the priest go on about Gwen's fulfillment to enter the afterlife.

But Jack paid little to no attention to his words as he sat there, still in shock. He looked at the casket again before tearing his eyes away from it and looking at the hole his best friend was going to end up in. It wasn't right for her to go down like this. They were supposed to be friends until the very end, they weren't supposed to.... to just die by getting hit by a freaking car, pushed in front of one because of their soulmate.

The irony.

The reason they went to Indianapolis was to recover Jack's soulmate, only for one of them to die under the hands of their destined lover. And Jack hated the irony.

After that night, Jack never had an anxiety attack after that. Never had he had one before. It was a one time thing... and a deadly one. They had lasted the rest of the week there, mostly Jack sitting around in Austin's apartment. The college student gladly helped Mark pack his things and take some pictures with him. Matthew had eventually explained where his wife's whereabouts were and he even showed them the voicemail. Matthew reconnected with her after a while in which they had a big argument and led to Matthew shouting at Jordan through the phone.

Jack was shocked that Stephanie had the audacity to actually pull that off, but he was also slightly proud that she took the initiative to take control of her future. Past the heartbreaking goodbye that the couple had given each other, Austin waved them goodbye as they went through security and all waited to go on a plane straight to Los Angeles. Arriving there was a different story.

Felix and Cry picked them up from the airport and were confused why Gwen had not returned. Then they broke the news to the married couple and they broke into hysterical tears at the news. Jack had distracted himself the rest of the time on planning her funeral, even to the point where Mark was concerned about the amount of Caffeine he took just to avoid sleeping. Mark was wary about them starting a relationship but he eventually went through with it, slowly and surely did they take steps.

Matthew got to spend three more nights with Stephanie, one of them supposedly having another large argument before she left to Indy to stay with Mark's ex. Matthew was heartbroken for a while before he began going on with his regular life without her. They made up, eventually, and they called each other probably every week.

And now, Jack had succeeded in his assignment of planning her funeral. The Priest had called up Jack to say a few words, the eulogy, for her. He walked up to the mahogany podium, looking across the herd of people he more or less knew. He cleared his throat as he looked down at the paper below him and began speaking, meeting their eyes as he cast his glance away from the paper.

-"Gwen... was a great person." He began. "she wus always the bright and.. sassy energy people never knew they needed in their lives. She had done... a lot of great things for this world... she would always tell me how she wanted to grow up and become one of the best fashion designers in the world. Of course, she started her business from the ground... but they all do. If... if she didn't get h-hit by that car then... then.."

His mind was crawling to dark parts. The parts that he tried to avoid. Jack's mind floated around for a minute before he saw Mark mouth at him from the front of the audience 'What's Wrong?'. He anchored his thoughts back to the eulogy and looked back down to continue reading, a tear escaping his wall to old back the waterfall of pain.

-"if she wasn't taken so soon, then she could have achieved her goal and just.. dominate the pop culture in a fashion sense. I know she was capable of it. I believe in her the most... as she did for me. I-I just wish that I wasn't up here speaking about her. It's the day that she's finally grown old with.." _London_ is what he wanted to say, "..her soulmate. and maybe then would I be fine with it. But... she was just.. taken up by God into his heavenly kingdom-- Okay, I'm really sorry. Yes, I am a catholic but I knew for a fact she wasn't all too religious. She was a good person and she shouldn't have left this world too soon. It's.. it's not right..."

He felt himself slowly breakdown and his sobs were beginning to roll in as his tears were broken free once again. Mark and Matthew quickly stood up and walked over, helping him away from the stage as he held the crumpled paper in his hand as he cried.

-"I-it's not right." Jack said as they practically dragged him away. They stood at the edge of the cemetery, away from  the funeral itself to let Jack pour himself out.

-""It's okay..." Mark said, hugging Jack close. "It's alright--"

-"No it isn't, Mark!" Jack exclaimed, shoving him away. "S-she had a future. She could have had a future and she could have grown up to be one of tha best people out there and she's... she's just dead!"

Mark looked at him sympathetically, watching as the man he's come to love stood there heartbroken and beaten. Then his words registered into Mark's conscious and a sad reality dawned upon him.

-"You're not... talking about Gwen anymore.. are you?" He asked. Jack shook his head as he squatted down and held his head between his hands as he cried harder. Mark looked at Jack with awe and sadness. "Oh... jack..." Mark whispered as he knelt down.

-"Mark, I miss her so so much. It wasn't fair... it just.. it wasn't fair.." Jack whispered as Mark knelt down to pull him into a caring hug.

-"I know... I know...." Mark replied as he felt a tear slip away.

The memory of the sweet little girl entered their minds. Her giddiness and joyful attitude always bringing a smile to their faces. Her sincere worry for her father and knowing all about him. Seeing her aunts and uncles again before she met her unprecedented end. Buried by a fountain. A fountain in the middle of a maze at the dump. The poor child probably met a frightening and confusing end, unable to comprehend why she was here.

As they hugged each other, Matthew standing idly trying to not to cry, they both felt a presence wrap their arms around them in the shape of a little girl that was once the paramount concern of the green-haired man and a curious figure that appeared in the pink-haired man's life.

* * *

-"I just needed your opinion on something.." Austin said, getting the doctor to follow him to a table.

-"About what?" London asked. Austin had opened his mouth to speak when he got a phone call. He quickly excused himself and walked away, talking to the person on the other end. London sat with her Starbucks drink in hand and waiting for him to return.

She looked around the small coffee shop franchise and looked at her phone to see for any notifications or important messages before revising her pager to see for an emergencies.

-"Hey, sorry about that." The, now purple-streaked student said as he stood beside the table.

-"It's fine." she replied with a shrug.

-"I, uh... have to go.. could you maybe meet me outside my apartment in.." he explained before glancing at his phone. "maybe two hours? Something came up at work and It's urgent" he said quickly. She nodded her head and he gave her a small thank you before darting out of the shop. She let out a sigh and continued drinking her coffee.

Later in the day, she did as asked and showed up outside his apartment building, the winter air slowly drawing through the atmosphere and pushing away Autumn as November ticked by. She shrugged her coat on closer to shield herself from the air where she saw him run toward her with a small smile on his face.

-"Hey, thanks for meeting me here." he said as he stopped and stood next to her, hands in his coat pockets.

-"It's no problem. I'm on call for most of the day anyway so." she said with a shrug. He smiled at her before he led her into the alley right beside the apartment building to shield them from the icy wind.  "What's up?" she asked.

-"I just wanted to catch up, I haven't seen you in a while." he said. She snorted and nodded her head.

-"Well I'm fine." she said, her hand reaching out of her pocket and placing it atop her chest to reference her point before continuing, "I've just been driven up the wall with work. But I'm fine, nothing we can't handle."

-"Oh wow... that's good." he said with a dazzling smile. She giggled at him before asking him the question. "I'm fine, as well. Just... work is good. We have this case that we're practically tearing flesh and blood from to help with. It's crazy, it's about drug-ring." he said. She made a noise that showed interest and he continued speaking about it.

After a while, Austin finished his story and she looked at him sincerely. The air was still in the alley, casual drifts of wind blowing into the space between the buildings and leaving the cloudy afternoon with an almost sentimental sensation.

-"How are you, after the whole Mark thing?" She asked, hoping to test waters with him on a slightly sensitive topic. He shrugged, still carrying onto his smile. His brown coat adorned his hair perfectly and made him seem almost comical.

-"I'm good. He's good. We text a lot. We're just best friends now." he said. She nodded her head. "Hey, I just remembered that there's this really cool painting he sent me the other day actually." he said. She cocked her head before he quickly pulled her along to go upstairs.

The lobby to the apartment building was warm other than the icy wind that almost pierced through her coat outside. When they finally reached their floor, he lead her down to go into an apartment that wasn't his. She confusedly walked in and saw that it looked empty. The only thing left was a small package in the corner along with a few plastic drapes and tarps. He lead her farther into the apartment before they reached the supposed bedroom. She turned around to ask him where the painting was when he hit her and shoved her backwards to fall on the ground. She felt at her nose to make sure it wasn't broken. She looked up at him with slight terror, his purple hair glowing in the darkness of the room since the windows were closed with wooden drapes.

-"A-Austin what are you doing?" she asked. He chuckled darkly and kneeled down to meet her face.

-"Remember Gwen?" he asked. Her eyes widened at his words. At the memory. Of the woman he killed.

-"Oh god.." she said, realizing what this was about. "oh god I am so sorry..." she whispered. He laughed at her fear before he reached into his coat and pulled out a gun.

-"here's the deal, London." he said. "this gun has two bullets in the chamber. There are six spots so do the math and you basically have one third of a chance to kill yourself." he said after clicking it out, scrolling it and clicking it back again. He placed the gun on the ground between them. "If you don't die, then you never utter a word about this ever again and realize that for some goddamn reason, God decided you're ass is needed on this earth." he said.

She quivered in fear at his words and watched him stand up, shrugging on his coat further.

-"The decision is yours." he said before leaving the room and locking the door behind him. She stood up and ran up to the door in fear and slammed on it.

-"Austin please don't do this to me!" she pleaded. He chuckled through the door as he leaned against it. "Austin please! I am so sorry!" she pleaded as she slid against the door hopelessly and let her cries ring through the empty house. He rolled his eyes and hit the door once.

-"Your time is running out before I walk in there and shoot the gun myself." he threatened. She sobbed and cried for good few minutes before she slowly crawled toward the gun.

She grabbed it, held it carefully before cocking it and placing it under her chin.

-"I swear I'm sorry.." she whispered. Austin was waiting, suddenly regretting the plan as he waited for the gunshot. "Hail Mary... full of grace..." she began to pray before pulling on the trigger.

Austin winced slightly at the noise startling him, even with the silencer they had installed into the gun, the gunshot still rang slightly as her body fell with a thud. Austin opened the door and watched her holding the gun shakily at him. He froze in his tracks to see the position he was suddenly in.

-"Now _you_ have a one third chance of dying." she said coldly. Austin scoffed before he turned back around and closed the door behind him. He locked it again and heard the gun clatter as she ran forward trying to stop it.

-"No! Oh god no. Please!" she pleaded as he began walking away. He closed the front door as a test and heard her let out a cringy scream. The house was filled with an undetermined silence as he waited. The darkness from outside loomed over the windows and left an uneasy feeling for him. Then...

he heard another gunshot. He turned on his heel and marched toward the room where he unlocked and threw open the door to see the gun in her hand, her body positioned awkwardly against the door as her remains dripped from the frame of the door. Austin covered his mouth and grimaced. He never did like the sight of blood, this was why he did law instead of medicine.

-"It's done." he said into the phone. A few seconds later, Stephanie and Ken walked through the front door and made their way past Austin as they entered the room and dealt with the dead woman that had blood on her hands. Metaphorically and literally.

**M: Stephanie said it happened...**

was the text that Austin received. He felt guilty for not telling Mark directly about their plan. He replied quickly.

A: I'm sorry, I should have told you.

**M: yeah... you really should have.**

**M: But Thank You. It'll give Jack some closure. Even if it's in a bad way.**

**M: I'm sorry that you had to go through that. Try and remain positive. Don't go down the road I already went through**

Austin pocketed his phone and continued helping the others dispose of the blonde girl's body. Once they finished, they disinfected the entire area just like Stephanie asked them to before walking out and dropping off all the separate body pieces in different trash cans around their neighborhood.

And then they pretended like it never happened.

A: Is it bad to say that I'm glad I did that. I mean, Jack's sorta my friend now too. I just hope that she realized she got what she deserved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *flips tables from frustration even though I wrote this B S*
> 
> Update: Okay, I lied. This was another plot twist. I figured she deserved an ending that everyone is happy with.


	20. There's Only One Way Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happily  
> Ever  
> After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, Thank you so much to all my friends that encouraged me to write this and it was really fun! A big thank you to all the people that let me use them as characters for this fic, I appreciate their contribution to it and I care for them so dearly!
> 
> Second off, Thank you guys/gals so much for reading this since it wasn't a complete waste of time, energy and stress. LMAO. I am so glad that most of you enjoyed it! I'm glad. Thank you for the kudos and comments as well!
> 
> Update: I AM SO SO SO SO SO SORRY ABOUT THE LATE UPDATE. OMMMGGGG IDK WHAT CAME OVER ME BUT I WAS PUTTING OFF WRITING TO THE SIDE FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS AND I AM NEARLY FOUR UPDATES LATE. ERMAGHERD.

**[The Epilogue]**

 

_**Five Years Later . . .** _

-"If you don't hurry up, I swear--" Stephanie scolded through the door.

-"Alright, alright! I'm coming!" Mark exclaimed as he adjusted his tie for the third time. He figured it looked halfway decent. He gave himself an approving nod as he opened the bathroom door and was struck by Stephanie's amazing apparel.

She was wearing a dark, navy blue dress that fit her well in all parts of her body. Her hips looked very much defined, her entire body gave off an almost unbelievable aura that could land her in a fancy women's jewelry advertisement. She was all in all... stunning. The bright earings on her ears suited the small, thin chopsticks that were kept in her hair which made the diamond necklace stand out further.

-"Wow. You actually look nice." She said, surprised by his outfit. He blinked a few times.

-"You look freaking beautiful." He replied. She blushed slightly before focusing on his tie and scoffing.

-"If only your tie was the same..." she replied as she began working on it. He rolled his eyes, annoyed by her accusation. He stared over her neatly curled bun atop her soft brown hair and looked beyond her to see the door across the room slightly ajar.

Jack was frantically doing his tie and shaking his head in the mirror before he left from view and returned to readjust a new one. Mark smiled at him and felt a small heat rising in his chest that fluttered into his cheeks. His blossoming sensation made the woman notice as she turned to look at her friend's flustered capability to see Jack. She sighed and turned back around to give him a knowing brow.

-"What?" he said, acting oblivious to her eye roll.

-"You know exactly what." she said as she finished his tie and patted his chest lightly. "That look you give him."

-"I don't give him a look." Mark defended.

-"Liar." she teased with a wink.

-"Stephanie, can you help-- wow.." Matthew barged in before staring at his wife in awe. She looked at him slightly before she covered her blush.

-"Why do you guys keep saying that." she mumbled as she walked over and adjusted Matthew's tie as well. "And why do you mean not know how to tie your own damn ties."

-"We notice the beautiful things in this world first." Matthew replied, as he noticed Mark's gaze turn back to his fiancé on the other side of the room.

Stephanie finished his tie and walked out, saying she was going to check up on the 'other groom' as she went through the door and closed it behind her, winking at Mark. He sighed and sat down on a chair, twiddling with the engagement ring that was on his finger.

-"You nervous?" Matthew asked, sitting beside him. His hair swept up onto one side of his head, wearing a bow tie like Mark's. The, now blue-haired, man nodded his head as he glanced at the closed door.

-"Weren't you?"

-"Well yeah. But on my actual wedding day." the brunette replied. Mark looked at him sincerely before he rose.

-"Speaking of, should we go check on the groom so he doesn't fly out the window?" Mark suggested. Matthew nodded his head and they left the room, entering the hallway of the fancy hotel and walking down the red carpet that lined the halls of the grand building.

After the whole Indianapolis escapade, they moved back to L.A. where things ran rather smoothly. He took up on his old job, apologizing to Bob for leaving him back there and getting into Tiffany's heated scolding after 'everything she had done for him'. Bob decided that he would stay there and check up on Stephanie every once and a while.

Speaking of the woman, she thrived in Indianapolis living with Austin. When they had concocted a dreadful plan to get back at London for what she did, they had become closer. Stephanie and Austin became probably the best of friends, even more so than Jack and Gwen, to the point where they knew each other like their own self. Stephanie would always call her husband and frequently skype with him. He was even on a skype call with Austin as she gave birth in the delivery room. In which she had given birth in Six months to a beautiful young girl named Gwen and then Three months after she gave birth to a boy that would soon be taken to L.A. to live with Jack and Mark.

The troubled couple, however, lead a different story. They would both live in one another's presence but not contain many romanticism at all. Mark had taken it slow, not knowing how to start with Jack, and vice versa. Soon, though, they got the hang of things and began dating completely and went full-on with their relationship.

Mark had been ecstatic to receive little Tim, as was Jack. Sometimes, the Irishman would cry at night mourning over his original daughter. The dynamics between the new little family were a rough start as Mark couldn't even begin to know how to deal with a small human being that was not himself. Jack got used to the system he used to have, much to Mark's luck. As the Mixed-Raced man had gone back to work, he was starting to get really busy during the summer time and felt extremely guilty for not being able to be there for much of his son's moments. The only moment he endure with him was when he First knew how to walk, against Jack's dismay. The still green-haired man had decided to work from home and take care of little Tim.

Matthew and Stephanie moved back together once Gwen had turned Four. Austin, sadly, had to say goodbye to his dearest friend. Even though they skyped every night, unlike Stephanie and Matthew did when she was across the country.

Austin had graduated from college and was accepted under his mentor's name to be working there with her as well, dominating Indianapolis crime. A few of the other students that worked in the office eventually graduated as well and worked under their bosses name. Austin was 'one of her most successful student's'. The multi-colored man was taking over the city by storm and received well enough publicity as working alongside his boss than he was able to share it with his friends there and over-land, giving him a congratulatory feedback.

Mark and Matthew entered the room and cane to see the groom standing in front of the mirror and straightening his tie.

-"H-ey, it's the man of the hour!" Matthew greeted.

-"Hi..." the short man in the white suit replied. He turned around, facing the other two men in his dressing room. His hair was his trademark spiral of his original dark, blonde hair and a mixed swirl of green and purple.

-"You look amazing." Mark confessed to Austin. The latter of the two smiled at him.

-"Touche" was what he replied with. Matthew strode across the room nd grabbed a mint candy added as decoration to the room, unwrapping it and popping it into his mouth.

-"Mmm. These are really good." he said, the other two chuckled at him before Austin turned and looked at himself in the mirror again. He drummed his fingers along his thigh and sighed.

-"Do you.. think it's.... maybe too soon?" Austin asked out of the blue. "I've only known him for almost a year or two now but I feel like it's too soon.."

-"No! Wat? C'mon, it's almost perfect timing!" Matthew said, bewildered by his statement. Mark, however, stared off and looked at the engagement ring on his finger.

-"MaPat, I'm being serious," Austin retaliated.

-"And so am I." He replied, placing a hand on Austin's shoulder to express sympathy.

-"I'll admit, the announcement was.. sudden. But nonetheless, we're happy for you." Mark spoke up, looking to meet his golden eyes. The groom stared at him softly, as did the other man.

The groom looked back at himself in the mirror and examined his suit, then he inspected his own engagement ring that decorated his pale hand nicely.

-"But--"

-"But nothing. C'mon, Austin. You've been telling us how our lives have to add up to this very moment. Solidifying our relationship and commitment with out soulmate." Mark said, walking closer and standing behind him, looking at him through the mirror. "I... I ran away from falling in love after... realizing I couldn't have the person I wanted. I lived too long. I've lived a life... that historians have called depressing and lonely. I've done my time being stuck _in_ time. I've done horrible things that time can't just erase. So you close your time gap and die with the person you love."

-"Oh.. Mark.." Austin said, once he finished. He turned around and looked at the taller man sincerely. "But now you can close your time gap too..."

-"I know.." the blue-haired man replied with a soft smile. The younger man gave him a little smile before it wavered. "Plus... it's never too late to back out..."

-"I'm sorry, what?!" Matthew exclaimed from where he stood, not three feet from them.

-"I'm just saying... we could buy you time. If you don't want to close your destiny yet, everyone can just wait.." Mark added.

-"No no no, we cannot do this--"

-"Really? You'd do that for me?" Austin asked, looking at them with slight hope.

There was a beat of silence. Matthew was staring at them wide-eyed meanwhile Mark was staring at Austin's hopeful face with sincerity.

-"Yes."

-"No!"

-" _Yes."_ Mark said, more authority in his voice, turning to give the brunette a glare.

-"But--"

-"I say yes. Let's go. Just... buy me some time..." Austin said as he turned kicked off his shoes.

-"Guys--!"

-"Time is all he has left, Matthew" Mark said, looking at him with anguish. "So let's go save him some before his clock starts winding down."

* * *

-"Excuse me, what?!" Stephanie exclaimed.

-"They're... not ther." Jack repeated, looking at her with worry and slight fear.

The woman made a noise deep in her throat that very clearly expressed her annoyance as she looked for her purse and fished out her phone, looking frantically through it before holding it up to her ear. It was Bob, Jack,  and Stephanie in the room right next to the other groom's and they were apparently having a midlife crisis as the other seemed to have left, leaving a pair of shiny black shoes in their wake.

-"Where are you guys?!" Stephanie exclaimed into the phone.

-" _What? Uh,.. hey, Steph. How are you?_ " Matthew replied.

-"Don't bullshit me, Matthew. Where is Austin?" She replied, clipped and audibly angry.

-" _Nowhere...._ "he drawled out.

-" _Ooh. where'd you get that ICEE?_ " Austin asked over the phone. Matthew shushed him and the other recipient of the call rolled her eyes.

-"You need to bring him back." She said, her anger fusing away, replaced by frustration and annoyance.

-" _To be fair, I was not behind this--_ "

-"I don't care who was behind this! There is a man in the room right beside ours that is waiting to get married to his soulmate in less than two hours and his beloved groom is _gone!_ " she hissed.

-" _I know! I know! I tried telling Mark, but he--_ "

-"Wait.. Mark.. was behind this?" Jack asked, shyly and with sadness radiating from the name.

-"Ugh. Just bring him back, Matthew!" She replied before ending the call. She tossed her phone blindly at the sofa and it landed next to Bob who abruptly stood up to not get hit by the flying technology.

The room was taken over by the sudden silence, the only woman in the room had both her hands over her nose and mouth, almost as if she was saying a prayer even though she very clearly was not. She took a deep inhale of breath and lowered her hands, opened her eyes and saw Jack looking at his ring sadly. Her eyebrows lifted in concern and she watched as he fiddled with it, his movements slow and expressing him in deep thought.

-"Jack.." she said softly. He slowly raised his head and looked at her in the eyes. "Jack, I'm sure Mark wasn't getting any personal ideas."

-"How do we know that?" the Irishman asked, his voice wavering.

-"I mean.. well we don't but I know that Mark couldn't possibly do that." Stephanie replied.

-"You know... but how could I know?" He replied, sadly. His eyes cast down to his hand and they had a slight tick in them, one hand covering the one with the ring on it.

-"Because he isn't that type of person." Bob said, standing up and walking over closer. "In all the decades that I've known that man, leaving and breaking a promise is not one of them." he said, affirmatively.

-"Bob--" Jack began to interject.

-"No, Jack. Mark has never broken a promise. None that I know of at least, and I know a lot of them. We've worked together for years, excluding these past five, and I know how he ticks. I know that he likes it when interns compete to work with him. I know that he enjoys succeeding in things he has good odds at. I know he gets sad when he loses a patient or when he feels like something could have been his fault for merely being associated with it. And I know... how.. broken he was after leaving L.A. knowing that he had to create a new life for himself since our fucked-up friend decided to kill a child that he barely knew... but that it was enough for him to get attached to," Bob said as he walked closer and laid a hand on Jack's shoulder, "And from the frequent phone calls we have, I know for a fact that he's in too deep with you to abandon you now. He's been running too much from his feelings and his past that it's finally caught up to him. And you... you were the spell that broke his curse."

Jack took the words in with meaning and gratitude. He recounted the past five years of he and Mark.

The first year was rocky. They had been easing into their newfound relationship on dangerous waters, but they settled into it. Their grand memories and activities filled his thoughts. Hearing his laugh echo through the silence of Jack's old apartment whenever they watched a funny movie or if Jack failed miserably in a video game, the deep rumble in Mark's chest whenever they would hug or cuddle. The protectiveness he had over Jack when someone, male or female, winked at him from a distance. The hot, steamy moments they endured together when they made love. Or the pleasing and blissful noise of Mark's occasional snores would fill their bedroom as Jack laid against his bare chest. The harmony of Mark's voice whenever he would sing randomly or In the shower that echoed across the walls. The... overall presence of the man with glasses made Jack's heart soar into the clouds and land softly. The little things he noticed about Mark, like how he had a frightening ability to twist his legs almost entirely, how he could correct crime and drama shows whenever someone died or was considered dead, whenever wine was involved in any activity he would be very cautious about Jack drinking it. Jack would see how Tim would brighten Mark's day every time he came back from work. He remembered the night he popped the question of their lives and made Jack burst into tears of joy, as did he. And then hearing the news over a skype call that Austin was about to get married and how they all flew back across the country just to celebrate.

It made Jack want Mark even more.

-"What if... I'm the one that runs away?" Jack suddenly says after a brief silence. The other two are taken aback by the sudden response.

-"Jack.. why would--"

-"You wouldn't do that because you've already tried running from a marriage..." Stephanie replied. The green-haired man's eyes flicked to meet hers. "Anne is happy with her soulmate, Jack. They have a beautiful baby boy, remember? You ran from her with.. with Sam. Why would you run from Mark if you already did it once with her?"

The words stung. Truly, they did. But Jack knew she was right. He had no reason to run anymore. He never would.

-"Yer right..." Jack replied as he looked back at Bob and Stephanie.

-"We know..." Bob said with a smile.

* * *

Mark was sitting in the car, rain pattering against the metal automobile. He had a half-eaten burger on his lap, a 3/4 eaten chocolate bar as well, a cup of Sprite sitting in the cup holder next to Matthew's diet coke, and he was looking through windshield of the car as the rain slid and splattered onto it. Austin was in the backseat, having a mild breakdown and confessing his worries and fears to Matthew who was (thankfully) listening intently for the both of them. He watched as the rain splattered on the windshield of the car they were in. As it dragged down, thick drops smacking against it and splattering across.

He found it funny. The rain, not Austin's anxiety. How rain was such a simple substance that belonged to the famous water cycle.

The water cycle.

It was such a strange term that everyone has used for many years to believe in how water is reused naturally. Mark found it fascinating, how water was precipitated from the oceans, rivers and lakes and send to gather in the clouds that now loomed above them and rained down, back into the oceans, rivers and lakes it had originally come from. It was a pattern. A repetition everyone was accustomed with. Funny thing is, the water cycle could be used to describe or relate to anybody's situations. It could be used as any simile for someone's day: You wake up, go to work/school, come back home, go to sleep, repeat. It went on for almost five days a week, take two days off of your ordinary routine that lasts a lifetime. It was something everyone was used to. You could compare the water cycle to an accident or tragedy: you're mood suddenly goes into one of shock, then you come to terms with it and are thrown into sadness, grief, even depression, and then you have to recover and heal, then you return to a happy or normal mood until the next tragedy hits. It's a cycle. A repetition. 

Rain. A small, four letter word that can be associated with some of the most heartbreaking tragedies in the world. Mark found it amusing how rain was associated with deadly disasters. A large storm that tears through the landscape that can cause property damage and even floods. People overlook how strong rain had fallen and caused the floor that swept away your loved ones to a breathless end. Or how the strength of wind and rain knocked over that tree that decided to lay against the roof of your home and tear straight through it. They ignore how rain is commonly introduced with Hurricanes that kill and annihilate the coasts. The rain could be flying so fast and brutally that it disables your view momentarily enough for you not being able to see the car that is literally flying at you and will most probably kill you.

It amused the man how the simplest of actions can cause the biggest ripple in the pond of life. Rain would always bring Mark to the dark and deep thoughts that he refused to visit on Memory Lane, he would always feel like rain was a metaphor of bringing his problems back to him. He remembered that Jack mentioned he loved rainy weather, even at its worst. Mark found it amusing how the Irishman would look outside of the windows of his own -- their -- apartment and would stare endlessly at it, bringing him nostalgia of living in the homeland back in Ireland. He sighed, content seeing his lover being fascinated with the slightly gloomy weather.

-"--but yeah, I feel like you need to get more than just my opinion. Am I right, Mark?" Matthew said, nudging him and bringing him back to reality.

-"Sorry, what am I signing my life to?" Mark joked as he turned his gaze to the other passengers in the car.

-"I asked if you think that marriage is worth it.." Austin said, looking at him with eyes full of concern and fear. Mark tore his gaze from them and it flicked back to the rain that was pouring onto the windshield of the car.

-"mark?" Matthew asked, nudging him to get his attention back.

The blue-haired man took a deep breath as he returned his gaze to them and stared at Austin head-on.

-"No."

-"No?" They asked in unison, surprised by his response.

-"No. I don't think that marriage is worth it. In fact, I think that marriage is just a contract to literally sign your life away. Because once you get married, you'll feel committed and forced to love them with all your energy even if you've run out of all of it at work. You'll feel indebted to this person, owing them your life because that's what a true marriage is, right? You'll have arguments. You'll have disputes and stupid, disgruntled arguments and you'll look back through your life and wonder 'What went wrong?'. Well this moment you're about to have is what went wrong because you went through with it instead of running away and finding your actual peace. You'll want to run away from your other, go on some silly road trip merely to get away from it all. But it won't matter how far or how long you avoid it because they will be in the back of your mind. They always will. It's what come along with marriage." Mark said, looking at their shocked faces, "It'll completely destroy you and you will grow old and bicker and the chance of this marriage surviving could be very slim or very grand, depending on how both of you play your parts. You might feel like the need to cheat on them is something scandalous that you want to endure merely because you're bored. Then you'll both grow old if you're lucky and if they die first, then you'll feel regret for resenting them for so long."

There was a deep silence filling the car, a deep and scary silence that neither of the three expected to feel. The only sound was of the rain sputtering on the roof in an unsteady rhythm. Matthew's jaw closed with an audible 'clop' as he let those words finally settle in. Austin stared down at his bare feet and flicked his eyes occasionally from his feet to the ring on his finger. Mark sat back correctly in the driver's seat and looked down at his incomplete food.

-"But that's just marriage. This isn't some half-assed romantic drama movie that wins an Oscar for best performance and best Picture. No, this is real life. What really matters is the love you're supposed to have, and damn well it's going to be there since you're soulmates, and the deepest thing you can hold onto is just that. Yes, because it's real love that comes straight from the bone, there will be less arguments, less disputes and less disgruntled conversations. And you'll wonder what had gone wrong in the past... but you'll realize that nothing went wrong, because this is where you would end up being either way. Then if you want to run away, you'll want to ask them to run with you to god knows where with who knows how much money. You'll enjoy every minute with that person, and no matter... no matter how bad it gets, you'll always look back at them when you get home and just.. just be with them. And it'll fix you right up. And the only thing that'll separate you two is a tragedy... or old age." Mark said, as he raised his eyes to look straight ahead of him. "Because True Love isn't just some comparison to the water cycle. It's the... the heart and the blood and sweat you pour into it. You don't need a court order or some wedding photos to prove that. Love will flow just like water. It'll.. it'll come to you and blossom into something beautiful... but no way in hell will it ever... go away. True love can't repeat itself."

Mark didn't realize he was crying until he heard the small tap of the thin paper ,that held his slightly warm food, as his tears tracked off his face. He turned in his seat to see Matthew looking t him with awe and a pleasing smile that decorated his face. Austin, however, had tears in his eyes as he held his head between his hands. He looked up at Mark with red, puffy eyes and a smile slowly growing on his lips before it faded away.

-"When did you become such a poet?" Austin asked with a small laugh. Mark turned his gaze back to the rain.

-"When I let go of all of my ghosts..." Mark replied after momentary silence.

* * *

-"How is he?" Tiffany asked as she closed the door behind her softly.

-"He's not answering. None of them are." Stephanie replied, sighing and dropping her phone against her lap again. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "God... I think he's actually going through with it. I think they're booking it."

-"Jesus... I never knew Mark had it in him to actually pull through with that." Tiffany replied with a small chuckle. "the guy's got balls..."

The two woman sat in silence in the hotel room for quite a while, looking at the ground in sadness and hopelessness. Stephanie got a message that she refuses to see, knowing damn well that people are probably asking why they had to postpone for another thirty minutes.

-"Guys." Jack said, throwing open the door to the room, looking at their heads raise slowly.

-"Jack. Just tell everybody the truth. Wedding's over..." Stephanie said silently.

-"No, ye don't get it." Jack said, stepping aside to let Matthew in. She stood up from where she sat and looked at Matthew with slightly wet hair and a smug smile on his face.

-"I told you it wasn't my idea.." He said. She walked towards him with abrupt speed and stood in front of him. He shrugged slightly at her and she smacked him, the sound echoing in the room. "ow.." he mumbled before she pulled him into a kiss. Jack looked away awkwardly as Tiffany clapped her hands in appreciation.

-"Where's the groom though." Tiffany suddenly asked.

-"making his way downstairs, where do you think?" Mark said, popping his head into the room with a smile. Jack's eyes brightened and he wrapped his arms around Mark's neck. Mark chuckled at his antics. "Okay, okay. We have to head down, c'mon"

-"Why is your hair wet?" Stephanie asked as they closed the door behind them.

* * *

As Stephanie and Matthew walked down the aisle, arm-in-arm, the other six stood in the shadows beside the entrance to the ballroom waiting for their turns to go.

-"Why is your suit wet?" CJ asked, looking at Austin with a raised eyebrow.

-"Don't ask." Austin replied with a smile. She mumbled a reply before notifying Bob he was next with Tiffany instead of his wife who waited near the front of the seats. They began walking down the aisle, leaving only four left.

-"Y'know, it's not _too_ late to run away." Mark said with a smirk. Jack pinched his side, causing him to let out a silent yelp.

-"Stop it." Jack warned with a smile. Mark shrugged and watched Austin roll his eyes.

-"Go get 'em, Tiger." he said before he and Jack walked down the aisle.

It was slightly awkward, having so many people staring at them as they walked down the aisle in a wedding that wasn't theirs. Mark's arm was being looped by Jack's who smiled at everyone softly. Their pace was a slow, agonizing one that made Jack fidget under the attention. Once they reached the stairs, they unlinked and went their separate ways, the bulkier man next to Bob and the paler one beside Matthew.

Austin and CJ walked down the aisle next, handing him off to the dazzling groom who accepted him gratefully and held both of his hands at the altar.

As they waited for the priest to finish his sermon on marriage, he asked for the vows, both being lovely and endearing. Causing Stephanie to tear up. Which she will refuse happened later on that night. The rings were exchanged, earning 'Awws' from those around them as they had carved each others' initials

-"-- and do you take him to be your lawfully wedded husband?" The priest asked. Austin looked into his soulmate's amazing eyes. Jack and Mark looked at each other from across the altar, winking at one another. Jack looked at the two men standing in between them, in love and ready to start a new chapter in their lives. He knew that was going to be he and Mark very soon, and he couldn't wait. He looked at the crowd to see little Tim and little Gwen standing beside Bob's wife, who held both their hands as she watched the main event.

-"I do." he said.

-"And do you, Austin, take him to be _your_ lawfully wedded husband?"

There was a beat of silence.

Jack thought he was going to say no. He thought he would say yes. It could be anything at this point. Jack knew damn well he would say yes if it was he and Mark right now. and Mark knew he would do the same.

As everyone waited, on edge for his response, he took a deep a deep breath that lasted only a second, but felt like a year. His eyes slightly watered and he shifted his sheet slowly before meeting the man's eyes.

And he said...

-"I--"

* * *

-"--do." Jack said, watching as Mark's smile grew happily.

-"You may kiss the groom.." the priest said.

Jack watched as Mark cupped his cheeks and kissed him softly, sending sparks through the air.

As they broke apart, they walked hand in hand down the aisle as everyone cheered for them and threw rose petals and confetti. Mark blushed insanely as Jack walked through the explosion of colors and walked through the large halls of the hotel. As they walked down the halls, they saw the limousine parked right outside the exit they were taking, entering it and seeing their other friends nearing the car and jumping in as well.

-"Where to?" The driver, Austin's husband, asking with a smile.

-"Wherever the hell we're having the after party." Mark said, kissing the top of Jack's hand. As they watched the hotel disappear from view, they joined conversation with Stephanie, Matthew, Tiffany (still single, lmao), Signe, Bob, his pregnant wife Mandy, and Austin.

The last of the group sat beside the couple and looked at Mark with a raised eyebrow.

-"I remember when I was in your position not two months ago.." Austin said. Mark raised an eyebrow.

-"Oh yeah? And how was that?" The blue-haired man asked. The younger of the two chuckled.

-"Send my love, why don't you..." he said.

-"to his new lover?" Jack interjected as everyone began laughing.

The ride to the after party was filled with joy and laughter.

And Mark knew...

this was a moment he _would_ want to repeat over and over. Forever. Immortality or not, he's happy the way his life turned out, all because of the hyperactive, green-haired man he was now allowed to call his.

**_~And they lived happily ever after...~_ **

****Or did they? ;D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IF YOU MADE IT THIS FAR THAN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THIS! HIT THAT KUDOS BUTTON IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY AND I WILL SEE YOU LADIES AND GENTLEHOES IN THE NEXT FIC!!
> 
> Now... Who's ready for a Zombie Apocalypse AU?!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope yall are liking it! Hit that Kudos button if you do!!


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